CoCo Gauff is on her Serena-Energy already this US Open, having to do her job on the court as well as the umpire’s, due to unfair treatment. But this time around, the audience has her back. Get into her big win despite her opponent getting ALL the breaks, and what she said about her viral moment after rightfully checking the umpire.
19-year-old CoCo is standing up for herself, and unlike the reception the Williams sisters used to get when they did the same, the crowd was totally behind her.
At Monday’s first round of the US Open, the umpire appeared to let SEVERAL violations go that her opponent, Germany’s Laura Siegemund, was committing.
Midway through the match, CoCo stopped and walked up to the umpire to voice her complaints. Siegemund was taking entirely too much time getting set for CoCo’s serve, she was sitting down in between sets, and she was taking too much time to get her serve off as well.
According to the rules and definitely tennis culture, the games are played at the server’s pace. And if you’re not ready, you likely will catch a violation of some sort. Because we ALL know, if CoCo was taking her sweet time getting set, she would be called out by the ump. But that same energy wasn’t kept with Siegemund.
Coco Gauff ckecking the ref….. Real life experiences. pic.twitter.com/4RVe0NwuR0
— Kenny Akers (@KeneAkers) August 29, 2023
CoCo took her complaint to the ump, with the crowd cheering her on while she made her valid points. And we love to see it, even though we all know there will be a certain sector of people who automatically label a black woman advocating for herself – especially in Tennis – as “angry” and “aggressive” and “confrontational”.
The ump finally started calling penalties.
A tennis crowd cheering on a Black girl while she’s advocating for herself, wow. Venus and Serena went through hell and left a better game for the women and girls that came after. They will always be loved, I’m so grateful for them
— Tower Block Tracy x (@emelleionaire) August 29, 2023
After the match, which CoCo won masterfully, she had this to say:
CoCo’s not the only YBF tennis star showing out at the 2023 US Open. Americans Taylor Townsend, Madison Keys, Chris Eubanks, Frances Tiafoe are doing their thing, and Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime is in the mix as well. Venus Williams unfortunately lost in round 1 in straight sets, and Sloane Stephens lost in 3.
The stars were also out to cheer on CoCo:
The Obamas shared some LOVE (see what we did there?) at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and so did Mike Tyson and wife Lakiha Spicer.
And Miami Heat baller Jimmy Butler was front and center today cheering on his fellow South Florida homie CoCo:
Game recognize game.
Jimmy Butler was locked in for Coco Gauff’s match.
