A tearful Coco Gauff paid tribute to gymnastics icon Simone Biles for helping bring a “bit of calm” during her gritty second-round win over Croatia’s Donna Vekic at the US Open.
The 21-year-old third seed battled through a tense first set, ultimately prevailing 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where seven-time Olympic gold medallist Biles was among a supportive crowd.
Gauff, the defending champion, struggled early with her serve, hitting eight double faults in the first set and visibly breaking down in frustration at the changeovers. She was seen sobbing beneath a towel after being broken back at 4-4, but regained composure to finish the match in straight sets.
Reflecting on Biles’ presence in the stands, Gauff said: “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.”
The win follows a period of self-reflection and adjustment for Gauff, who made a sudden change to her team after hitting 16 double faults in a loss to Jasmine Paolini in Cincinnati. Grip specialist Matt Daly was replaced by biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan, credited with helping Aryna Sabalenka overcome similar serving struggles.
While her revamped approach has invited increased scrutiny, Gauff showed resilience—one of her most notable traits—to navigate through the nerves and serving woes. She later admitted to taking a bathroom break after the first set to mentally reset.
“I’ve never felt like that on the court before,” she told ESPN during a post-match interview. “With learning a new thing, you don’t feel comfortable and I think it affects everything else. I played really well, the serving can be improved, but it was better than my last match. There are a lot of positives to take and I need to remember that side of things.”
