The elation of a hard-won tennis victory often spills over into memorable celebrations, a captivating tradition among its stars. From Novak Djokovic’s charming racket-as-instrument serenades for his children to Rafael Nadal’s visceral “Vamos,” these moments become part of the sport’s lore. Even Ben Shelton’s once-distinctive “hang up the phone” added to this tapestry. Coco Gauff has woven her own unique thread with the “digging with a shovel,” a gesture sparked by Denis Kudla’s rallying cry at the 2025 United Cup. Yet, the raw enthusiasm of her cheer after sealing a match is a sight in itself, and fans love it!

On Thursday, Coco battled through a gruelling three-and-a-half-hour marathon to edge out Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng in the Italian Open semifinal, 7-6(3), 4-6, 7-6(4). The match, which stretched into the early hours of Friday, featured two intense tie-breaks that Gauff won, showcasing her grit and nerve in a rollercoaster of momentum swings. After the final point, she let out a roar, thumped her chest, and shouted, “Don’t play with me! This my s—!”– a raw moment perfectly captured amid the roaring crowd.

Despite the high stakes and fierce competition, the match was marked by some mistakes. Coco committed 16 double faults and 82 unforced errors but made the most of her chances, converting 9 of 17 break points. On the other hand, Zheng struggled with her serve, winning points on just 46% of her first serves. She also hit 74 unforced errors and converted only 10 of 27 break points. Still, she pushed Gauff to the limit. Zheng even led 5-3 in the final set before Gauff clawed back to force the decider tie-break!

This hard-fought win marks Coco Gauff’s first-ever final in Rome after three attempts. She had two previous semifinal losses to Iga Swiatek. Her ecstatic celebration showed the relief and joy of finally breaking through at the Italian Open.

She will face home favorite Jasmine Paolini in Saturday’s final, with Paolini aiming to become the first Italian woman to win here since 1985. Regardless of the outcome, Gauff will leapfrog Swiatek in the WTA rankings, heading into Roland Garros with momentum and a better seed. But before that, fans can’t help but rally behind the 21-year-old to hype up her win!

Fans cheer on Coco Gauff for her enthusiastic post-win ritual

Under the tweet on Coco’s celebration, one X user wrote, “The Serena is very strong in this one 👏🏽❤️.” Gauff often channels Serena Williams’ power and intensity. Serena’s iconic court moments-shouts like “Come On!” or raising her arm with a fierce gaze- have inspired Gauff since she was young.

She often mentions this, including during Serena’s 2022 US Open, saying, “What Serena has done for the sport, what she’s done for women, what she’s done for African Americans… it’s something that you can’t really describe in words. She’s the GOAT. For me, she’s the reason why I started to play tennis.” Interestingly, she is now the first American woman in the Rome final since Serena and Madison Keys in 2016, according to the WTA!

Another fan tweeted, “She’s such a f—– thug lmao,” showing Coco’s many sides! She’s often soft-spoken and kind, always hyping up her American fraternity and fellow players. Respectful in wins and losses, but she’s passionate about her game. Her celebrations are enthusiastic- from “shovelling” notions to selfies after beating 2021 US Open champ Emma Raducanu in the R16, to dancing at the 2024 French Open semifinals! She loves sharing all facets of herself when she wins.

A fan also wrote, “Oh that Delray Beach jumped out of her with a quickness…” referencing the passion she brings from her hometown, where she began tennis at six. She consistently shows love for Delray Beach through words and actions, most notably with her new New Balance shoe line, ‘Delray Coco,’ launched in March. She never hides her roots!

Another fan enthusiastically stated, “I’m here for the Coco LFG era!!! Come on, gurl!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥.” This shows strong excitement for what many see as the start of a dominant era for Gauff. (“LFG” stands for “Let’s F—— Go!”) Her back-to-back WTA 1000 finals in Madrid and Rome definitely fuel that hype.

Despite some critics, fans stand firmly behind their star as she reaches her first Rome final. They wrote, “They hate it so I love it!! Keep it going Coco let ur victory be their tears!!” Coco Gauff has struggled to clinch a title this season since her big Team USA win at the United Cup. After a winless streak last October at the China Open, followed by a WTA Finals win in Riyadh, it’s been a tough road. Last year, after winning Auckland, she went eight months and 14 tournaments without a win.

Overall, Gauff’s chest-thumping and shouts after key points in the marathon semifinal give fans hope. They’re eager to see her in her second consecutive final since Madrid and first in Rome! She faces home favorite Paolini on Saturday, May 17. Gauff leads their head-to-head 2-1. Will she claim her first title of the season? Share your thoughts below!