Coco Gauff might be only 20 years old, but her trophy cabinet is already stacked up. After winning the French Open earlier this year, the tennis star has just clinched the ATP Finals trophy, and justifiably, her fans are going haywire with her achievement. Not just tennis loyalists, but stars from all walks of life have also come forward to hail the American star and Noah Lyles isn’t one to shy away from congratulating Gauff’s stellar feat.

2024 has been a bountiful year for Lyles as well. At the Paris Olympics, the Virginia native bagged his first Olympic gold in the men’s 100m dash, along with the title of the World’s Fastest Man. It was in the City of Love that Gauff and Lyles got to spend some time together in the Olympic Village, as they kept each other company while many of their teammates moved out to seek new accommodations during the Games. And now, as his new buddy achieved another milestone moment in her career, Noah Lyles couldn’t hold back on his vehement cheers.

Right after her victory, Coco Gauff went on X on November 9 to thank her supporters who stood beside her during the bad times. “Ya’ll held it down for me win or lose! I thank you for that. I see you and I appreciate you,” wrote Gauff for her followers. Along with that, she also noted that it felt great to silence the naysayers and prove them wrong by lifting the winner’s trophy in Turin, Italy. As her admirers flocked to the comment section of the social media update in throngs, the Olympic gold medalist also joined the party.

“Congratulations,” reads Lyles’ comment, and it’s evident that he’s elated to see his national teammate clinching the trophy and winning the impressive $4.8 million prize money. With that, he might have injected another shot of confidence into Gauff who previously mentioned how she was inspired by Noah Lyles’ persona in Paris when she fought to believe in her abilities.

“Honestly, it flipped a switch. He may have woke me up. He’s probably the most confident guy I’ve ever met in my life, honestly. Other than maybe Serena [Williams],” Gauff told ESPN in July. Adding how a different perspective always helps, the tennis star thanked Lyles further saying, “Somebody like him saying ‘You got this’ and all that … it means one thing when it’s coming from your sport. But also a completely different thing when it’s another sport.” And it’s exactly this kind of confidence in his prowess that has brought Noah a memorable time at the 33rd Olympics.

Confidence is Noah Lyles’ middle name

The speedster is easily one of the most energetic and confident-oozing people you’ll see on the tracks. Ahead of the start, his high jump antics often make his competitors frown, but it only seems to make Lyles win races by miles. In the months ahead of the 33rd Games, Lyles mentioned many times that he didn’t consider his opponents any threat and even vowed to bag gold medals in four events, a feat that even Usain Bolt doesn’t have. In May, before the Atlanta Games, Noah claimed that his only competition in the 200m in the last eight years has been himself. “I’m trying to think of the last time I had competition in the 200m. I’ve been doing this a lot by myself,” he said, highlighting his assurance in is own prowess.

After the Olympics, the reigning 100m world champ also commented that his opponents consider him to be arrogant only because they can’t match his speed. “There’s a lot of people who just want to either villainize me or blame me. To be honest, it comes with the territory,” he said in Spetember. But that didn’t stop the accusations from coming in. After beating Lyles in the 200m sprint in Paris, Letsile Tebogo also took a dig at his American foe as fans expressed their curiosity if Tebogo would be the new face of track and field.

What about you? Do you think Lyles is arrogant or do you find the 27-year-old to be a source of inspiration? Tell us in a comment!