Despite being only 19 years of age, Coco Gauff has been one of the strongest voices on the WTA tour. She has been one of the most outspoken players on the tour in recent years alongside delivering consistent tennis results. After her Round of 16 encounter at the Citi Open, she came up with inspiring words for her opponent.

Gauff locked horns with fellow American Hailey Baptiste for a spot in the quarter-finals. She cruised through in straight sets quite comfortably. However, it was her on-court interview that grabbed all the attention as she showed plenty of support towards her opponent. But what exactly did she say?

Coco Gauff extends her support to Hailey Baptiste

Gauff and Baptiste have been friends since they were about ten years old. They spent a lot of time together in the junior circuit. Gauff turned professional much earlier than her friend and climbed up the ranks in no time. So, naturally, they couldn’t spend as much time together anymore. At the Citi Open, the duo faced off for the first time and it was quite an emotional night for the 19-year-old.

In her on-court interview, Gauff said, “It makes me a bit emotional playing Hailey because growing up, there wasn’t really too many black women in juniors, and for us to be both here on tour, playing, really means a lot.” Being rivals for a couple of hours after years of friendship made Gauff really emotional.

She further added, “It just makes me a bit emotional because we were only three or four of us out there. We’ve all been friends with each other. We had to deal with a lot of crap that you guys don’t know about. I hope Hailey and I play each other many more times to be that representation.”

Those were magical words from Gauff. Tennis does not have enough players who weigh in on the importance of representation. However, Gauff has been the flag bearer for black women in tennis and always raised her voice for fair representation in sports.

READ MORE: ‘They Speak the Same Language’- Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff Tipped to Be Flag-Bearers for Women’s Tennis as Andy Murray’s Mother Makes Stunning Confession

With the likes of Gauff consistently notching up wins and building awareness around representation, tennis has a bright future. Her role is going to be vital for the growth of tennis and women’s tennis in particular. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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