Tennis sensation Coco Gauff made her debut at the 2024 Olympics for the first time, proudly representing her country in a special way. Her attendance comes after the 20-year-old won the US Open at 19 last year, where she went viral for praying after her monumental win.
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Coco Gauff, the 20-year-old iconic tennis player from Delray Beach, Florida, became the youngest American woman to win the U.S. Open, which she did at 19 years old in 2023. Her win comes several years after tennis guru Serena Williams won at the same age in 2001.
Coco Gauff after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first grand slam during the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens, New York on September 9, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday, and her win flooded media platforms and outlets. This was the 20-year-old’s first Grand Slam, after playing only two finals.
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The new tennis champion’s emotional reactions to the big win circulated on the internet, but there was one specific reaction that sparked a discussion among internet users.
Coco Gauff after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first grand slam during the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens, New York on September 9, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
Gauff was seen going down on her knees and saying a little prayer after winning, but when ESPN’s Twitter page posted the video, it was captioned, “@CocoGauff took a moment to soak it all in after winning her first Grand Slam title.”
Coco Gauff after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first grand slam during the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens, New York on September 9, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
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However, Super Bowl champion head coach Tony Dungy was not too pleased about ESPN’s choice of words. He responded, “I hate to break this to you, SportsCenter, but Coco Gauff was not ‘soaking it all in’ at this moment. She was praying.” He added that Gauff had been open about her religious beliefs.
Coco Gauff during her match against Aryna Sabalenka during the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens, New York on September 9, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
The tweet caught the attention of many online observers, especially after a football player with the Facebook username T.J.Moe, also called out ESPN, writing, “ESPN tried to say she was ‘soaking it all in.’ Nah, that’s prayer, and it’s fantastic to see a young athlete know where it all came from.”
Coco Gauff after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first grand slam during the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens, New York on September 9, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
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But the comment did not sit well with a few social media users, who thought Moe was insinuating that God helped her win the game when other people lost their lives to an earthquake in Morocco.
“T.J. Moe right. So while several thousand people died in [Morocco], [God] helped someone win a game 🙄,” asserted a user. “[Like] the earthquake in [Morocco]? Over 2000 so far? Is he more interested in sports?” pondered a Facebooker.
Coco Gauff after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first grand slam during the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens, New York on September 9, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
“So, basically God hates whomever loses because they didn’t pray hard enough?” questioned another.“T.J. Moe it’s one in the same 😂,” expressed another netizen.
Aside from Moe and other people’s comments, some people thought the prayer was also directed at her opponent. “[More] blessed than the opponent? Which she is thanking God for?” added someone else.
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Coco Gauff after defeating Aryna Sabalenka to win her first grand slam during the US Open Tennis Championships in Queens, New York on September 9, 2023 | Source: Getty Images
Gauff revealed that she had seen all the negative things said about her as the conversations erupted online and as a result, had a few words for her critics.
Coco Gauff Responds To the Haters
The tennis superstar was proud of her hard-earned victory and was thankful to her parents and her faith that kept her going. She looked back at her loss at the French Open, said it was part of the ups and downs of life, and expressed how grateful she was for the life she had.
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However, she also had a few things to say about those who did not believe in her. “Honestly, to those who thought you were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it – and now I’m really burning so bright right now,” said Gauff.
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Although there was negativity surrounding Gauff’s prayer, there were positive comments, too. One commenter said a replacement for Serena Williams had finally been found.
Coco Gauff after her win in New York in 2023. | Source: Getty Images
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Others said the young tennis champion was an inspiration and admired how thankful she was for her victory. Fans also loved to see Coco Gauff grow and become better with each game.
Coco Gauff Makes a Standout Debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics
This year, Gauff is competing in her first-ever Olympics, and the superstar tennis player has already made waves at the Paris Olympic Games.
Coco Gauff playing in the Women’s Tennis Singles First Round in Paris, France on July 28, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Prior to the commencement of the global event, the 20-year-old had been selected as Team USA’s co-flagbearer for the Opening Ceremony.
Coco Gauff waving the U.S. flag during the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, posted on July 27, 2024 | Source: Instagram/cocogauff
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Joining Gauff as the other flagbearer was iconic Los Angeles Lakers basketball player LeBron James, who had been picked as well.
LeBron James and Coco Gauff during the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, posted on July 27, 2024 | Source: Instagram/cocogauff
Buzzing with excitement, Gauff took to Instagram on July 27 to boast about the honor. She shared a carousel post showing her and James waving around the U.S. flag in white blazers as the boat they were on flowed along the Seine River in Paris. “What an honor… no words truly ❤️🇺🇸 #olympics,” Gauff penned in her short and sweet caption.
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Aside from dazzling the crowds with her impressive flag-waving technique, Gauff has also gotten to showcase her physical prowess as she leads the U.S. tennis team selection for the Olympics. Joining Gauff as her partner is fellow tennis player Jessica Pegula.
Coco Gauff posing for a picture during the Paris Olympics, posted on July 29, 2024 | Source: Instagram/cocogauff
Despite this being her very first Olympics, Gauff has soared to new heights as far as her tennis skills are concerned.
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A news outlet reports that, thus far in the games, Gauff has scored 3-0 across both the singles and women’s doubles.
Coco Gauff facing off against Maria Lourdes Carle of Argentina in the Women’s Singles second round match in Paris, France on July 29, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Adding an extra layer of victory is the fact that in three matches across six sets against Argentinian tennis player Maria Lourdes Carle, Gauff has dropped a combined total of just nine games.
