Venus Williams congratulates Coco Gauff on her US Open triumph in a unique way
Venus Williams sidestepped the usual social media route and congratulated Coco Gauff on her maiden Grand Slam triumph at the US Open via a comment on YouTube.
Coco Gauff became the youngest American US Open women's singles champion since Serena Williams in 1999. She also went down in history books as the third American woman after Tracy Austin and Serena Williams to lift the US Open trophy before turning 20.
Gauff has often spoken about the influence of the Williams sisters on her style, both on and off-court. In the press conference after her momentous win, she mentioned Serena and Venus Williams along with Althea Gibson and Naomi Osaka for paving the way for women, particularly Black Americans in tennis.
While Serena Williams took to social media to wish the World No. 3 on her maiden Grand Slam win, Venus Williams congratulated Gauff by leaving a comment on her interview with Today, which was uploaded on YouTube. She wrote:
"congrats coco <3"
An article on Today's website confirmed the authenticity of the comment, which has also been pinned by the channel on YouTube.
During the interview, Gauff talked about her triumph and the emotions she experienced the night before the US Open final.
"I was a little bit shocked and I couldn't breathe either" - Coco Gauff on her emotions after hitting the winning shot in the US Open final
In the interview with Today, Coco Gauff reflected on how she felt the moment she hit the winning shot against Aryna Sabalenka that sealed her 2023 US Open title.
The 19-year-old admitted that it took her quite a while to let the feeling of being a "Grand Slam champion" sink in.
"It's so crazy, I don't think I've gotten to digest. Even last night I was telling myself, 'You're a Grand Slam champion'," said Gauff. "It doesn't feel real at all."
Before the trophy presentation ceremony, Gauff had broken down and knelt on the court in prayer. She recalled the moment and shared that she felt a sense of gratitude for all the difficult journey that made her maiden Grand Slam success "even sweeter."
"I was a little bit shocked and I couldn't breathe either," she said with a laugh. "I was just saying, 'Thank you,' and 'I understood all the tough times were just to make that moment even sweeter.' I think if it came easy... I wouldn't feel as appreciative as I did in that moment, clearly."
With the win, Coco Gauff has reached her career-high ranking of World No. 3.