‘He Was Limping He Still Stayed’ – Coco Gauff Draws Inspiration From Rafael Nadal’s Ethics During Matches

Published 06/30/2022, 10:47 PM EDT

Coco Gauff is having a dream 2022 season. At 18, the American tennis sensation has defied age to be amongst the elite tennis players on the women’s tour. Earlier this year, Gauff reached the finals of the French Open in both singles as well as women’s doubles. Moreover, she has been putting on consistent performances across tournaments this year.

Meanwhile, Spanish legend, Rafael Nadal has made a solid comeback after an injury-laden 2021 season. He won the Australian Open title in a brilliant come-from-behind victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final. Later, he added his 22nd Grand Slam title by winning the French Open.

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During the Rome Masters, Nadal was troubled by a foot problem in his third-round match against Denis Shapovalov. Despite this, the Spaniard stayed on the court and completed the match. Recently, Gauff drew inspiration from this act of Nadal.

Coco Gauff inspired by Rafael Nadal

During an interview at the ongoing Wimbledon Championships 2022, the American tennis sensation talked about Nadal‘s ethics during his matches. She said, “What inspired me most about him was in Rome, even though he was limping he still stayed out there & finished the match. That’s something I really respect because he’s thinking about the fans. He’s a great competitor, great person, a great representation of tennis.”

Gauff on Nadal: What inspired me most about him was in Rome, even though he was limping he still stayed out there & finished the match. That's something I really respect because he's thinking about the fans. He's a great competitor, great person, a great representation of tennis
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) June 30, 2022

Yesterday, Gauff had a comfortable straight-sets victory over Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships 2022. The 18-year-old was dominant right from the start. She broke her opponent’s serve in the fourth game of the opening set. Serving to stay in the set, Buzarnescu failed to hold her serve, gifting Gauff the first set 6-2.

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Further, the second set was a keenly contested affair. However, at 3-3, Gauff won the next three games to win the set 6-3 and advance to the third round.

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Gauff to face Amanda Anisimova next

After her straightforward second-round victory, Gauff will take on compatriot Amanda Anisimova for a place in the fourth round. Gauff had defeated Anisimova in their only meeting last year.

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It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top this time around.

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Written by:

Vatsal Shah is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in engineering, he is a die hard fan of tennis and sports in general. He is an ardent follower of Rafael Nadal and is inspired by his never-say-die attitude.

Edited by:

Tony Thomas

‘He Was Limping He Still Stayed’ – Coco Gauff Draws Inspiration From Rafael Nadal’s Ethics During Matches

Coco Gauff inspired by Rafael Nadal

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Gauff to face Amanda Anisimova next