Tennis star Coco Gauff secured a straight-sets win over Donna Vekić in the U.S. Open second round on Thursday, August 28, but the match was far from straightforward.
The American player, 21, became emotional at times during a tough first set, seemingly struggling with her serve and clearly feeling the weight of the moment. Following her win in the tiebreaker, Gauff regrouped mentally and dominated the second set 6-2 to clinch the match.
During an interview after the game, the tennis talent revealed she drew inspiration from 11-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles, who was watching from the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"She’s on my Mount Rushmore of athletes with Serena,” said Gauff. “Everything she went through mentally is something I follow closely. To see her there tonight gave me the reminder I needed … I was lucky to just come from talking to her, so I was able to tell her that in person.”
Gauff continued, referring to Biles, "She helped me pull it out. I thought if she can go on a six-inch beam with all the pressures in the world then I can hit the ball into this court. It brought me a little bit of calm. She is an inspiration to me and her presence helped me win."
After the match, Gauff also shared with reporters what was going through her mind during the game.
"I think it was just nerves and just pressure, honestly, and I’m someone that usually can thrive on that. There’s been a lot on me this tournament, more than usual, which I expected coming in...It was a challenging moment for me on the court. It’s been a tough couple of weeks on and off the court, but I’m just happy to get through it today.”
Gauff currently tops the WTA Tour with 320 double faults this season, including eight during her match against Vekić on Thursday. She recently told reporters that she’s been working with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan to overhaul her serving technique and is optimistic about making progress. Gauff is set to take on Poland’s Magdalena Fręch in the next round on Saturday, August 30, as she pursues her second U.S. Open championship.