US Open finalist Coco Gauff is starting to believe ahead of finals against Sabalenka

Coco Gauff celebrates a point in a past match. [US Open]

Ever since Coco Gauff announced her arrival with a remarkable Grand Slam debut at age 15, she's been in the spotlight. Just about everyone in tennis recognized her talent, her smarts, her drive, her ability to step up on big stages.

Just about everyone, it seemed, was absolutely sure she belonged at the top of the game. Everyone, perhaps, except Gauff herself. Even as victories accumulated, including the two biggest titles of her career last month in the run-up to the U.S. Open, she would wonder whether she just happened to catch opponents on a bad day.