Tennis Star Coco Gauff Thanks God After Biggest Career Win
By Movieguide® Contributor
Nineteen-year-old American tennis pro Coco Gauff thanked God and her church after winning the Mubadala Citi DC Open women’s final less than a month after her first-round Wimbledon loss.
“First, I’d like to thank my Father, God for this,” Gauff said. “After losing in first-round Wimbledon, it was a tough situation. You know, a lot of prayer and a lot of support from my church family. So thank you to Him and those who support me.”
Gauff defeated world No. 9 Maria Sakkari 6-2, 6-3 to take home the title. The Mubadala Citi DC Open marks Gauff’s fourth singles title and the first WTA-500 win of her career.
Sunday’s win was not the first time Gauff has been public about her faith. In a New York Times Magazine piece from 2019, she revealed that she prays before every match, a practice she picked up from her father.
“Before every match since I was 8, my dad and I say a prayer together,” Gauff explained. “We don’t really pray about victory, just that me and my opponent stay safe. After the match, I was just thanking God for this opportunity.”
Gauff added that it would be “stupid to waste a prayer on results.”
The nineteen-year-old has become a tennis sensation in recent years, making headlines in 2019 for becoming the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history. She went on to win her first-round match that year against tennis legend Venus Williams.
With the help of her team, Gauff has only continued to grow as a player.
“We all know that her forehand was always her weaker shot. I feel like now she’s improving that. She’s making more balls. She’s working on that,” Sakkari said following the match. Before Sunday, Sakkari had beaten Gauff in four of the five matches they had played.
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