“Honestly, thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me,” said Coco Gauff after securing her Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows. As the 19-year-old American lifted her US Open 2023 trophy on tennis’ biggest stage, she thanked Serena and Venus Williams for inspiring her. “They’re the reason I have this trophy today.”

Coco Gauff’s success and the fire in her words have transcended the boundaries of tennis and leaked into WNBA and NASCAR. WNBA star Breanna Stewart quoted Gauff’s iconic words and gave her the credit she deserves. The basketball player, who earned the MVP title for the 2023 season, revealed Gauff’s words “stuck” with her.

Breanna Stewart quotes Coco Gauff while accepting the 2023 Kia WNBA MVP award

When Gauff won the US Open, the world saw the player in a completely new light. Before her stint in the American hard court season, many believed that she was not ready to step up to the big stage, but Gauff proved every doubter wrong. Her words after her win have become iconic, as many athletes are quoting her. One of them is the 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart.

According to ESPN, in her acceptance speech, she said “Coco, what you said when you won the US Open stuck with me: ‘I try my best to carry this with grace, but honestly, to those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas and now I’m burning so bright.'”

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Gauff dropped this burning line after defeating the reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

Clearly, the New York Liberty player is impressed. Stewart is an influential athlete in her own right. This was her second MVP award; the first one being in 2018 with the Seattle Storm. However, there are other athletes who have been inspired by the US Open champion.

American NASCAR driver, Bubba Wallace, hits back at haters in Coco Gauff’s style

Bubba Wallace has been in the haters’ crosshairs for quite a long time. The 29-year-old was having a rather difficult time as he struggled to find wins. He came into the playoffs with his qualifications uncertain. Many believed he would not qualify, but Wallace proved everyone wrong. After he managed to qualify, he fired back at those who insulted him.

19-YO Coco Gauff’s ‘Ugly’ Winning Act Bowls Over Chris Evert and Other ESPN Analysts as America’s Grand Slam Dream Edges Closer to Reality

He also used the words from Gauff’s post-US Open win speech and stated how the abuse only managed to fire him up even more. He said after securing qualification, “God, I love that s**t right there. Counted us out. Like Coco Gauff said, all they’re doing is adding fuel to the fire. I love it. Love where I’m at this team.”

Now, he is aiming to go even higher and will attempt to keep firing back at those who doubted him in the first place.

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