Coco Gauff shocked the tennis world when she stormed through the field at the US Open to become the youngest American player, male or female, to win the Open since Serena Williams did it in 2001. While it shouldn’t have come as a surprise, considering Gauff was runner-up on the red clay at the French Open and won the US Open hardcourt tuneup in Cincinnati leading up to the Major held in Queens, New York, what she did immediately after closing out the US Open final has shocked everyone.
It is not a popular look in this day and age for professional athletes to show any type of faith or gratitude toward God. Considering the decaying moral fiber of roughly half of the country as well as the possible backlash from social media and the mainstream press, sometimes it is hard to blame a young athlete if they play their faith and beliefs close to the vest.
Gauff’s display of gratitude was immediately downplayed by ESPN, who, on their X account, wrote that Gauff “took a moment to soak it all in after winning her first Grand Slam title.” This led to NFL legend and best-selling author Tony Dungy to reply: “I hate to break this to you SportsCenter but Coco Gauff was not ‘soaking it all in’ at this moment. She was praying. She has been very open about her Christian faith in the past. It seems pretty obvious what she is doing here,”
Recently, Gauff opened up about her thoughts and actions after her victory. She said: “I was just saying thank you, and I understood all the tough times were just to make that moment even sweeter. I think if it came easy, I wouldn’t feel as appreciative as I did in that moment, clearly.”
It was a touching, refreshing moment, to be sure. Rather than preening and playing to the crowd and cameras, Gauff chose to speak to God and give thanks first. She continued about what the victory meant to her: “Oh my goodness. It means so much to me. I feel like I’m a little bit in shock in this moment. That French Open loss was a heartbreak for me. I realized God puts you through tribulations and trials. This makes this moment even more sweeter than I could imagine.”
While she didn’t elaborate, Gauff made it clear that she doesn’t pray to win; rather, she gives thanks for being blessed with the opportunity. She also said: “I don’t pray for results. I just ask that I get the strength to give it my all. Whatever happens, happens. I’m so blessed in this life. I’m just thankful for this moment. I don’t have any words for it, to be honest.”
Coco Gauff may only be 19, but she possesses a level of maturity some folks never achieve. She is humble, faithful, and thankful, and not afraid to talk about her God and give him props. In an age when so many people have eschewed God and embraced selfishness and vanity, an athlete like Coco Gauff is a breath of fresh air and someone we can all root for.
Featured image screen grab from embedded YouTube video
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