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Coco Gauff’s path to French Open final, from prodigy to tour pro, age records

Coco Gauff

US’ Coco Gauff reacts after winning against Italy’s Martina Trevisan at the end of their women’s semi-final singles match on day twelve of the Roland-Garros Open tennis tournament at the Court Philippe-Chatrier in Paris on June 2, 2022. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)

AFP via Getty Images

Coco Gauff reaching the French Open final at age 18 is the latest in a string of remarkable teenage feats in her young career. A look at how she arrived at the biggest stage in tennis ...

2017 U.S. Open: At age 13, Gauff finishes runner-up to fellow American Amanda Anisimova in the junior division. Gauff, who got a wild card into her first junior Grand Slam, was the youngest junior Grand Slam finalist since Martina Hingis in 1993.

2018 French Open: At age 14, Gauff wins the junior title over doubles partner Caty McNally. In the semifinals, McNally saved a match point against a 17-year-old Iga Swiatek, preventing a Gauff-Swiatek final. Gauff became the youngest junior Grand Slam champion since Hingis in 1994.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Men | Women | TV Schedule

2019 Wimbledon: At age 15, Gauff becomes the youngest player ever to make the Wimbledon main draw through qualifying. Wins her first-round match over Venus Williams, who earned the first two of her five Wimbledon titles before Gauff was born. Coco Mania ensues as Gauff wins her next two matches before falling to eventual champion Simona Halep. Gauff was the youngest player to reach the fourth round of a major since Anna Kournikova in 1996.

2020 Australian Open: Still 15, Gauff upsets Naomi Osaka in the third round, becoming the youngest player to beat a defending champion at a major since Jennifer Capriati in 1991. Gauff pushes eventual champion Sofia Kenin to three sets in a fourth-round defeat.

2021 French Open: After winning a tournament the week before, is seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time. Gauff, now 17, becomes the youngest player to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal since Nicole Vaidisova in 2006. Again, she is defeated by the eventual champion, this time Czech Barbora Krejcikova, after squandering five set points in the first set of a straight-set loss.

2022 French Open: After celebrating high school graduation at the Eiffel Tower, makes the most of a wide-open draw by reaching the final without dropping a set. Gauff becomes the first woman in more than 40 years to make a Grand Slam final without facing a top-30 player. She is the youngest Grand Slam finalist since Maria Sharapova won 2004 Wimbledon at 17.

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