"I play like Coco Gauff for real": LaMarcus Aldridge, John Wall and Evan Turner in awe as the American reaches US Open Final
Coco Gauff punched her ticket to the 2023 US Open Final after beating Karolina Muchova in straight sets during their semifinal matchup on Thursday, September 7. Her victory was admired by a few NBA players.
The match between Gauff and Muchova ended in a tight battle to end the second set as the American avoided getting into a tiebreaker. She now moves on to the final to challenge World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka and take home her first Grand Slam title at 19 years old.
Evan Turner, on his best scoring season with the NBA with the 76ers, averaged 17.4 points along with 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He was tuned in to the match and compared his game to Gauff's.
"I play like coco gauff for real," said the former Sixers forward on X.
Also tuned in to the match was LaMarcus Aldridge, who like all tennis fans, was glued to his screen and held on to his seat during the thrilling finish of Gauff's match.
"Man Coco had me nervous!!! Good win… keep going," Aldridge wrote.
John Wall also saw the match and acknowledged Gauff's feat with a bunch of strong emojis.
Coco Gauff's biggest fan is Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler
In his free time, Jimmy Butler has been seen watching tennis matches, especially in the off-season. One of the reasons why the six-time NBA All-Star goes out of his way is to witness live tennis matches of Coco Gauff.
"Jimmy Butler, he's come to a couple of my matches. I wasn't as surprised he was there. I still am like, 'Man, this guy is busy, why is he coming to watch me play?' It's a really cool experience. I'm just happy I guess and really honored," said Gauff in a press conference at the 2023 US Open.
Also a self-confessed Miami Heat fan, Gauff goes to basketball games. After one of her practice sessions at the 2023 US Open, the World No. 6 shared what she learned from Butler by just watching him.
"I think he has the talent and the mentality," said Gauff. It's just taking him even further. Realistically, between two weeks or between Wimbledon and the next tournament I played, nothing could have really changed that much. It was really just the mental thing. I think that's what I learned from watching Jimmy compete over the years." (via the official website of the U.S. Open)
Heading to her title clash with Aryna Sabakenka, Coco Gauff has the edge, having won three out of their last four matches on the tour.