Two months ago, Coco Gauff found herself at a new low, having lost at Wimbledon in the very first round. Now at the U.S. Open, she’s less than two weeks removed from defeating No. 1 Iga Świątek in the final the 2023 Cincinnati Masters and has all the momentum in the world going into the U.S. Open.
The 19-year-old prodigy isn’t an underdog by any means, but she credits one athlete from a different sport for inspiring her in recent years: Heat forward Jimmy Butler.
“That switch I had in the last couple weeks. people think some incredible thing happened,” she said, according to the New York Daily News. “But realistically, the two weeks between Wimbledon and the next tournament I played, nothing could have really changed that much. It was really just the mental thing. I think that’s what I learned from watching Jimmy compete over the years.”
The Heat star was in attendance Wednesday when Gauff defeated Mirra Andreeva in the second round of the U.S. Open, 6–3, 6–2, and was seen supporting the Florida native.
Game recognize game.
Jimmy Butler was locked in for Coco Gauff's match. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/UnHcKcFSJ8
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2023
Butler has built a reputation as one of basketball’s fiercest competitors, having led two underdog Heat teams to the NBA Finals in the last four years. If Gauff puts up similar performances to Butler’s during those runs, her competition will be in for the fight of their lives.
