Simone Biles Sends Powerful Message to Coco Gauff Ahead of US Open Match

Coco Gauff’s second-round match at the 2025 US Open began in turmoil. The defending champion at Flushing Meadows committed seven double faults in the opening set, breaking down in visible frustration as Donna Vekić pressed her to the edge. But from the stands, a familiar face offered a reminder of resilience. Simone Biles, the seven-time Olympic gymnastics champion who Gauff places alongside Serena Williams on her personal “Mount Rushmore of athletes,” had come to watch. The sight of Biles, seated calmly through the storm, transformed the course of the evening.

By the second set, Gauff’s game had shifted. She struck first serves at a 77 percent clip, surrendered no break points, and reduced her double faults to a single misstep. The turnaround reflected more than a technical adjustment. “Honestly, I saw her, and I don’t know if she’s up there, but she helped me pull it out,” Gauff admitted in her on-court remarks. “I was just thinking, ‘If she can go on a 6-inch beam and do that with all the pressure of the world, then I can hit the ball in this court.’” That comparison, unprompted and heartfelt, captured the bond between two athletes accustomed to navigating pressure at the highest level.

The connection was not one-sided. Simone Biles, who returned to major competition after withdrawing from the Tokyo 2020 Games to prioritize mental health, praised Gauff’s composure. 

In their post-match meeting beneath Arthur Ashe Stadium, the exchange became personal. Gauff told Biles, “You’re such an inspiration. Like, seriously, what I said in the interview, I was thinking about that literally.” Biles, in turn, congratulated her with equal sincerity. “Of course, I had to [come], you’ve been popping off lately! Gymnastics is so different, so I just wanted to scream, ‘Go Coco!’ but then they were like, ‘Maybe not right now,’ and I was like, ‘Got it.’ But no, congrats! I love watching you, everything you do.” She later amplified her message on social media, writing, “so proud of you @cocogauff 💗 Wear the crown that wears you,” on her Instagram story.

Speaking with ESPN, she explained, “Obviously Coco Gauff. She’s incredible, amazing, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so it’s just such a privilege to watch her on home soil and watch black girl magic. [I admire] her grace and humility. She is amazing on and off the court, and I think that says a lot about who she is as a person, so it’s a privilege to watch that in person.” Coco Gauff did not hear the words in real time, but they resonated afterward, underscoring the mutual admiration that framed the night.

For Gauff, who will face Poland’s Magdalena Fręch in the third round, the evening carried significance beyond the scoreline. After tears and a shaky start, she steadied herself with a thought grounded in Biles’s example. What began as a precarious contest ended as a testament to the power of shared experience among champions, and a reminder that inspiration often flows strongest when it crosses disciplines. But let’s be honest! Gauff isn’t the only one Biles has inspired… Legends from across sports openly celebrated Simone Biles for reshaping athletics and redefining strength.

Great athletes unite in praise of Simone Biles’ lasting impact beyond gymnastics

Few athletes command the respect of their peers in the way Simone Biles has. Across sports, champions who themselves defined eras spoke about her with an unmistakable sense of admiration. Whether on red carpets, in essays, or through social platforms, they chose words that carried both reverence and solidarity. Their praise was not casual acknowledgment but a recognition that her influence extended well beyond the vault, beam, or floor.

When Lindsey Vonn described her long friendship with Biles, she did not hesitate to place her in the highest company. “She’s incredible, obviously changed her sport. I think she’s one of the greatest athletes of all time, period, full stop,” she said, recalling the privilege of presenting Biles with the Laureus Award just days earlier. For Vonn, who knew the weight of that honor from her own career, the gesture symbolized more than ceremony. In her later tribute, she noted that Biles’ reach was broader than gymnastics, calling her “a true champion for women in sport and for mental health and someone who has inspired me many, many times.”

Serena Williams echoed a similar conviction in her 2021 essay for Time 100. Reflecting on Biles’ openness about mental health, she wrote, “What she embodies truly reflects the endless potential of Black women. I wish I had her to look up to when I was younger and trying to realize my dreams.” Williams regarded Biles’ decision to step away from competition in Tokyo not as retreat but as a redefinition of strength. Venus Williams, too, recognized the significance of Biles’ candor, aligning it with her own experiences and pointing to the universality of such challenges. In each of these testimonies, the unifying thread was clear: the respect of great athletes who understood, perhaps more than anyone else, the magnitude of Biles’ courage and achievement.