5 most wholesome tennis moments in 2023, ft. Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff
The 2023 tennis season saw the usual suspects like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff faring well. There were intense rivalries and heated moments on the court, but the season was not without its fair share of joyful and wholesome moments.
The players kept showing their humane side on the court, reminding fans that some things are bigger than the sport. In this article, we take a look at five such wholesome moments in tennis in 2023.
#5. Gael Monfils giving a ball girl a chance to play shots
Gael Monfils has always been a nice guy on and off the court, along with being a great entertainer. He enhanced his reputation in that regard by giving a ball girl an opportunity to hit a serve and then play some shots with his opponent, Christopher Eubanks, at the Canadian Open.
Monfils won the first-round match in the end but won quite a few hearts even before that with his gesture. He went as far as the quarterfinals before falling to Jannik Sinner in three sets.
#4. John Isner retiring from tennis on home soil
John Isner decided to put an end to his 16-year-old career on his home soil at the US Open. The 6 ft 10 in American lost to compatriot Michael Mmoh in the second round, and followed it with an emotional speech.
Isner, known for his huge serves, thanked his family while trying to fight back tears. The spectators gave him a rousing applause as he completed his speech.
The 38-year-old retired with 16 career singles titles, with the 2018 Wimbledon semi-final appearance being his best performance at a Major.
#3. Hubert Hurkacz holding a child after a match
Hubert Hurkacz has won over many fans worldwide with his friendly demeanor. After a match at the Shanghai Masters, a fan requested the Pole to hold an infant for a photo. He obliged, but could not hold the baby for long, as the latter began to cry.
The current World No. 9 jokingly admitted later that the baby did not like him. It was an endearing moment that portrayed Hurkacz in good light yet again.
The Pole eventually won the tournament in Shanghai, beating Andrey Rublev in the final. It was one of the two titles he won in the season.
#2. Novak Djokovic hugging his daughter after winning the US Open
Novak Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open in New York and celebrated in style thereafter. His wife, Jelena Djokovic, carried their six-year-old daughter, Tara, down the stairs to reach her husband.
Djokovic then hugged his daughter, which was an endearing moment for many. The clinical, metronomic Djokovic looked human for once while holding his daughter close.
It was a historic day for the Serb, who equaled Margaret Court's all-time record of Majors won by either sex.
#1. Coco Gauff hugging her parents after winning the US Open
Coco Gauff became the first US woman since 2017 and the third teenager ever to win the US Open by beating Aryna Sabalenka in New York. Following the win, she made her way to her parents in the stands; Gauff was already crying before she reached them.
Both her parents were visibly emotional and Gauff later said that it was the first time she had seen her father cry. After the match, the 19-year-old remarked:
"Well, thank you first to my parents. Today was the first time I've seen my dad cry. He doesn’t want to tell y’all that. But he got caught in 4K. He thinks he’s so hard, but [he’s] not."