Sha’Carri Richardson Has One Word for Coco Gauff After Tennis Star’s Major Career Update

2022 French Open–an 18-year-old, Coco Gauff, with a tight grip on her racket, entered the finals. Pressure? Skyrocketing. On the other side, world number 1–Iga Świątek, riding a 34-match win streak. The Polish tennis star dominated the match, winning 6–1, 6–3. But losses don’t stop you. Coco Rose. Then, in the 2023 US Open, a 19-year-old Gauff entered to redeem herself. She defeated Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 2–6, 6–3, 6–2, securing her first Grand Slam singles title. At just 19 years old, Gauff became the youngest American to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999. But little did she know that while making history, she was also gaining a high-profile admirer — Sha’Carri Richardson. Now, as Gauff rises again, the track star has proven her love for her!

On June 7, 2025, Coco Gauff once again relived 2022. Back in the same country, same tournament, and the same finals which had broken the dreams of the 18-year-old her. Aryna Sabalenka also came to avenge her 2023 loss. Dreams and redemption were at stake. 6-7, first round lost. Coco Gauff’s nightmares were coming true. But she made a comeback. 6-2, 6-4, Gauff took the win.

And how did Sha’Carri respond? ESPN took to its Instagram on June 7 to celebrate Coco Gauff’s French Open victory. Captioning the post, “COCO GAUFF WINS HER SECOND CAREER MAJOR TITLE 🏆,” they posted a graphic of a US Tennis star with the 2023 US Open Trophy and then with the 2025 French Open Trophy. Soon after, Sha’carri Richardson took to her story on Instagram, tagging this post, and once again sent a heartfelt message to her fellow countrywoman. Tagging Gauff, she wrote, “@cocogauff amazing🥹😍.” Simple, impactful, and highlights how the track star admires Coco!

Notably, this is not the first time the track and field legend has participated in the Tennis celebrations for the US. After her 2023 win, Gauff had posted a picture of herself in an all-pink outfit, holding the trophy proudly after her victory in the US Open in 2023. Back then, Sha’Carri Richardson took to her story and wrote, “Shine Lovely Shine,” accompanied by a pink flower. In May 2025, as well, Richardson took to her story to say  “WHEN YOU WIN A 3.5HR THRILLER COCO ©cocogauff.” Soon after the post, Gauff reposted the same on her story, saying, “Thank you queen.”

But the most notable of her gestures came amid a tough time for Coco. Before her historic win in the 2025 French Open, Gauff made a very painful confession reflecting on her past, and guess who she got support from? Sha’Carri Richardson indeed.

Sha’Carri Richardson supported Coco Gauff’s confession before the finals

Before Gauff became the first American player to win a singles title at the French Open since Serena Williams (2015), she did reflect on her loss from 2022. A post from Tiebreak Tennis on Instagram on June 7, 2025, itself reported her statement. It read, “Everyone is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final, At first, I thought it’d be the end of the world if I lost. And you know, the sun still rose the next day. So know, regardless of the result, the sun will still rise. Just realizing how big the moment seems in our lives is not as big in the grand scheme of things.”

Sha’Carri Richardson took the post to her story. She didn’t write anything, but the message was clear. Fans eagerly awaited Sha’Carri’s 2025 season debut, hoping to see the reigning world champion storm out of the blocks with trademark fire. But when the gun fired at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Tokyo, expectations were shot. She clocked a sluggish 11.47 seconds in the 100m, finishing fourth, well off her personal best of 10.65. 

She was beaten by Bree Rizzo (11.38s), Twanisha Terry (11.42s), and Sade McCreath (11.46s). The loss triggered immediate questions about her form, fitness, and readiness for the Olympic build-up. Yet, Richardson remains calm. On June 2, 2025, she said on Twitter, “June is here and I truly have no fear for the rest of the year 🙏🏽!” Next, she will race the women’s 100m at the Prefontaine Classic on July 5, 2025, in Eugene, Oregon. Are we going to see Sha’Carri bounce back? Share your thoughts.