Coco Gauff said the presence of Olympic gymnastics legend Simone Biles at courtside inspired her during her toughest tennis battle at the US Open 2025. The 21-year-old American fought through tears and errors to claim a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over Donna Vekic on Thursday, advancing to the third round.
Seven-time Olympic gold medallist Biles was courtside at Arthur Ashe Stadium as Gauff endured a chaotic first set. At one point, the French Open champion sobbed into her towel after multiple errors and four service breaks.
“I mean she’s the greatest, one of the greatest athletes,” Gauff said after her victory. “It’s her and Serena (Williams) for me on my Mount Rushmore of athletes. I think everything that she went through on the mental side of things in the sport, it’s something I follow closely and try to learn from. To see her there tonight kind of gave me a reminder that I needed.”
Gauff revealed that Biles, who overcame mental health struggles at the Tokyo Olympics before her Paris Games comeback, gave her strength.
“I saw her being interviewed and I was just thinking if she can go on a six-inch wide beam and perform with all the things she’s gone through, I can come out here on court and hit a ball. Her presence helped me today,” Gauff added.
The third seed later confirmed she spoke with Biles after the match, sharing her gratitude directly.
Emotional Struggles on Court
Gauff’s US Open 2025 preparations were disrupted by a sudden coaching shake-up. She added biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan to fix her troubled serve. After a first-round match with 59 unforced errors and 10 double faults, Gauff again struggled against Vekic.
Broken four times in the opening set, she looked distraught but steadied herself in the tie-break. Gauff did not drop serve in the second set, showing remarkable resilience to seal the match.
Asked about her emotional breakdown on court, Gauff replied: “It feels human, I think. I think being an athlete, people kind of disregard that side of us, the human side of things.
“People say so many things, like, you know, you’re No. 3 in the world, and you’re doing this or you’re playing like this, and you should be better and things like that. But at the end of the day, I feel like if I stop and didn’t pick up a racquet tomorrow, I have a career that so many people would dream of.”
She continued: “I think I just show people what it’s like to be a human, and I have bad days, but I think it’s more about how you get up after those bad moments and how you show up after that. I think today I showed that I can get up after feeling the worst I’ve ever felt on the court.”
What’s Next for Gauff
Donna Vekic also had a tough outing, finishing with 10 double faults and losing serve six times. Despite the struggles, Gauff’s resilience stood out as she booked her spot in the third round.
Coco Gauff will now face Polish 28th seed Magdalena Frech on Saturday at the US Open 2025.
Stay tuned for all the latest Sports News, follow SportsNewsTime on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram