Coco Gauff Says Simone Biles Inspired Her For US Open Second Round Win

Coco Gauff is one of the sports world’s most prominent rising faces, and she further cemented her star power at this year’s US Open. The Georgia-born talent won her second round match in straight sets against Donna Vekić on Thursday (Aug. 28) and said fellow athlete Simone Biles was her inspiration through the tough matchup. During a difficult first set, Gauff was left in tears as she fought through the building pressure. The world No. 3-ranked player pushed through and wrapped the match up 7-6(5), 6-2. She became emotional again during her her post-match interview and took the time to acknowledge and thank Biles who was watching in the stands. She helped me pull it out. I was just thinking if she can go on a six-inch beam and do that under all the pressure of the world, then I can hit the ball on [this court],” Gauff said She said thinking about the trials and tribulations the Olympic gold medalist went through was what gave her the motivation to secure her victory. “It brought me a little bit of calm, just knowing her story with all the things she went through mentally, so she’s an inspiration surely and her presence definitely did help me today,” she added. The camera then panned over to Biles in the crowd who cheered and shouted, “Love you! During her road to becoming one of the most decorated gymnasts in the world, Biles faced her own set of peaks and valleys. In 2021, she withdrew from several individual events at the Tokyo Olympics after she decided to prioritize her mental health.

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