Coco Gauff broke crying rule after US Open win over Aryna Sabalenka
Coco Gauff will face Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open semi-finals on Saturday, four months after the American defeated the Belarusian in the U.S. Open final
Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu both feeling good before the Australian Open
Coco Gauff reignited her rivalry with Aryna Sabalenka in this week's Australian Open semi-final, four months after they met in the U.S. Open finale. It was Gauff who ran out winner last September, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, while Sabalenka was victorious in Mebourne on Thursday.
Gauff is known for her composed demeanour on the court, but her win over Sabalenka was an emotional one. After securing her first Grand Slam title, she couldn't hold back her tears. Following her 2023 win, Gauff opened up about her emotional response on Instagram Live. "I do never cry but the US Open happened.
"I wasn't expecting that, okay? Y'all say what you want, I was not expecting that," she told her followers. She later explained why she was so emotional, referencing a video of her as a nine year old dancing in the stadium where she would later be crowned U.S. Open champion.
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"If you've been following me for a while you just know this has been something the world has put on me at a young age," she said. I'm just happy that I was finally able to overcome all that to do it. So that's where the tears came from and just a little bit of shock when I finished the match.
"Y'all saw that video where I was nine years old, I think that girl was crying, to be honest. I don't think I was crying, to be honest, I think that girl in the video was crying because I don't like to cry. Not in front of people, I'll cry alone, I'll cry over a movie or a TV show but in front of people, no."
Gauff wasn't the only one getting emotional after her first big win. She shared that her dad, who like herself, is usually not one for tears, but couldn't help himself this time around. She joked: "Because I'm supposed to be a thug. Just kidding.
"I'm like my dad though, for real. Today was the first time I've ever seen my dad cry. He doesn't want me to tell y'all that but he got caught in 4K. He thinks he's so hard but he's not."
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