US Women’s tennis star Coco Gauff won the women’s US Open and took a knee on the court afterward to pray and thank God for the power and will to win the tennis grand slam event. After becoming the youngest player since the great Serena Williams to hoist the trophy, Gauff was seen on her knees with her hands folded at her head.
Gauff is a young tennis star, that is up and coming and has the chance to become one of the best in the game. She did not shy away from being loud and boisterous following the win to the press, as she joked about her father shedding tears in the immediate aftermath of the match.
Coco Gauff knelt in prayer after becoming the youngest US Open winner since Serena Williams. pic.twitter.com/hhNmPc9IUA
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 10, 2023
On the microphone after her victory, Gauff joked, “Today was the first time I’ve ever seen my Dad cry. He doesn’t want me to tell you that, but he got caught in 4K.” Having family in the arena for such a momentous victory is a sight that fans of tennis will not soon forget hearing about and seeing.
Coco: "Today was the first time I've ever seen my Dad cry. He doesn't want me to tell you that but he got caught in 4K" pic.twitter.com/Zg0GQJSKYA
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 9, 2023
Gauff was also quick to heave praise onto the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, who mentored her and showed her that Americans can dominate the sport of tennis. Gauff started, “They’re the reason why I have this trophy today. They’ve allowed me to believe in this dream. Growing up, there weren’t too many black tennis players dominating the sport. It was just them at the time that I can remember, & obviously more came bc of their legacy.”
Continuing, she said, “It made the dream more believable. All the things they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this. You look back at the history of Indian Wells with Serena, all she had to go through. Venus, fighting for equal pay. It’s crazy & it’s an honor to be in that same lineup as them.”
Many fans find it refreshing to see a young elite athlete take to their knees and offer public praise to the Lord. When we see so many young stars appear as if they themselves are to thank for their great accomplishments, it can become easy to forget those like Gauff who quickly bow down in praise.
Gauff, after a couple of smaller wins in recent months that many said would be the best that she could do, used those haters and nay-sayers as as fuel to her fire. She commented, “Those who thought you were putting water on my fire were really adding gas to it, and now I’m really burning so bright.”
Women’s tennis in America may have found its next big star as the nineteen year old continues to impress on the world stage. Time will tell if her improvement continues, but there is no reason as of yet to say that this is the climax of her tennis career.
The featured image is a screenshot from an embedded Tweet.
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