New York, August 2025 — Under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the crowd roaring and expectations piling high, Coco Gauff wrangled with more than just her opponent — she fought her nerves, a flaring serve, and a rising tide of self-doubt. It was a match that seemed destined to unravel, until an unexpected figure in the stands became her anchor: Simone Biles.
The scene was intense. In the second round of the US Open, Gauff faced Croatia’s Donna Vekic. The first set spiraled into chaos: seven double faults, multiple service breaks lost. Gauff, world No. 3 and fresh off coaching changes aimed at fixing her serve, looked visibly shaken. She scrunched her brow, double-faulted at critical moments, lost momentum. When the score reached 5-4, and again when Vekic had match-like energy, Gauff visibly struggled — tears building, composure slipping.
But then, amid the chaos, came solace. Among the thousands packed into Ashe stood Simone Biles, the gymnastics legend known not only for her flips and medals, but for resilience, perseverance, and speaking openly about mental battles. Gauff spotted Biles in the crowd, in the midst of her own interview with the media, and something clicked. “If she can go on a six-inch beam with all the pressure in the world, then I can hit a ball on this court,” Gauff later reflected. That mental comparison, that reminder of shared struggle, suddenly offered calm.
The first set tiebreaker became the moment of turning. Gauff rallied, dug in, found rhythm. From 7 double faults early, she steadied her serve, played aggressively, put away balls. Vekic’s performance wavered under pressure and physical discomfort; Gauff, renewed, closed the set. She rode that momentum into the second, dominating 6-2 to seal the win.
After her victory, Gauff’s gratitude was palpable. Eyes red, voice soft but certain, she looked out to the crowd and thanked them. But her focus returned to that pivotal inspiration: Simone Biles. She met with Biles after the match, thanked her in person, FaceTimed her mom so Biles could say hello. It wasn’t just a gesture — it was a recognition that mental courage, visible in Biles, helped pull her through her own darkness that night.
This match won’t just go down as another win in the US Open — for Gauff, it was proof that strength isn’t just measured in aces or winners, but in being able to reset, admit fear, draw on unseen courage, and then still step up. And for fans, the image of Biles in the stands, silent but powerful, might have been worth more than any swing of the racket.
