The match against Donna Vekic was nothing short of an emotional roller coaster ride for Coco Gauff and her fanbase. Despite being filled with confidence as the match began, the No. 3 WTA star broke down in tears in the middle of the first set. She was tied 4-4 with her opponent in the first set, but her poor serve gave Vekic the edge. This sent the 21-year-old spiralling down and sobbing during the changeover. But then came the twist. Gauff took a break, splashed some water on her face, and came out renewed. This reset was enough to secure her a win with the scoreline reading 7-6, 6-2. But as per Gauff, it wouldn’t have been possible without a solid nudge. From who?

According to the American star, it’s all of us who stood in her support and kept on cheering. So, what was the match against Donna Vekic for Gauff? During the post-match interview, she stated, “Honestly, today was a tough match for me. But I’m just happy with how I was able to manage. I just finished a rough couple of weeks. But I’m happy to be back on the sport and you guys bring me so much joy…”

She broke down once again as the fans kept on cheering her. After regaining her composure, she claimed, “You guys really, really helped me a lot. So, I’m doing this for myself, and I’m also doing it for you. And no matter how tough it gets inside, you can do it.” Needless to say, Coco Gauff seemed to carry a lot on her shoulders. And a reporter acknowledged this during the on-court interview.

How much strength did Gauff gather from the energy of the NYC crowd? With tears flowing down her cheeks, she confessed, “I feed off it a lot. I mean, I’ve had some tough moments on this court, and you guys pulled me out just fine. So, I really do appreciate it. That first set was tough for me. But you guys stayed cheering for me. So, I really- Thank you, guys.”

Per Gauff’s admission after her first round match up against Aussie Ajla Tomljanović, the past few days have been particularly exhausting. Imagine excelling at something you do, just to be told later that you’ve been doing it wrong. Fixing her serving woes with biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan has been particularly exhausting for the 21-year-old. It’s as good as a factory reset, consciously focusing on every serve that she delivers and delivering it with taught precision, by breaking habit.

So, if the audience can overlook her flaws and cheer on her grit, it doesn’t hurt to take inspiration from the people who love you. The Arthur Ashe stadium couldn’t have been louder in making their favorite player know how much they backed her. As Coco Gauff laid down her honest confession, the audience erupted. But there was one special someone in the stands who had a profound effect on the WTA #3. And that was none other than the ‘Queen of Flips’, Simone Biles. 

How did Simone Biles help Coco Gauff win her second-round US Open match?

As the on-court interview continued, the reporter pointed out that Biles was actually present in the stands, cheering for Gauff. This information wasn’t surprising to Gauff, “Honestly, I saw her. And honestly, I don’t know if she’s up there. But she helped me pull it out. I was just thinking like, if she can, you know, go on a six-inch beam, and do that with all the pressures of the world, then I can hit the ball in this 75 – I don’t know how big this court is. So, yeah. I saw her late in the second, getting interviewed by ESPN.” 

Simone Biles, despite being one of the most celebrated artistic gymnasts, had a dangerous mental block called ‘the twisties’. This forced her out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and she garnered quite a bit of backlash. But she never gave up. And that attitude ignited a spark in Coco Gauff’s heart. She continued, “And yeah, it brought me a little bit of calm just knowing her story with all the things she went through mentally. So, she’s an inspiration surely. And you know, her presence definitely did help me today.”  

And now, she progresses to the next round in the 2025 US Open. What do you think of Coco Gauff’s performance in the second round of the 2025 US Open? Let us know in a comment.

Meanwhile, head to the EssentiallySports Live Blog for more juicy US Open updates in real-time.