Coco Gauff celebrated her WTA 1000 China Open win by revealing the inspiration she drew from three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. Gauff claimed her first singles title since January, defeating Karolina Muchova 6-1, 6-3. This victory came after a difficult season where she faced mounting pressure and early exits at major tournaments.
After disappointing fourth-round losses at Wimbledon and the US Open-both to fellow American Emma Navarro-Gauff decided to make changes, including adjusting her support team. Entering the China Open with a “practice” mindset, she turned things around, delivering a dominant performance and regaining her form.
Gauff on Wilson’s resilience and ability to overcome setbacks
Reflecting on her victory, Gauff shared how Wilson’s attitude toward both success and failure helped her regain perspective. Wilson, who led the Las Vegas Aces to back-to-back WNBA championships, saw her team dethroned by the New York Liberty in the 2023 WNBA Finals. Despite the loss, Gauff was inspired by how Wilson handled the disappointment, acknowledging the difficulty of maintaining success at the highest level.
“People don’t realize athletes have great moments and bad moments,” Gauff said.
“I took inspiration from A’ja Wilson. She said, ‘It’s hard to stay winning all the time,’ and that you need losses to evolve. That really stuck with me.”
Gauff encouraged tennis fans to embrace the ups and downs that come with sports, as losses are often key to growth and improvement.
Gauff’s admiration for Wilson deepened after the two met for the first time during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Before the opening ceremony, Gauff had the chance to tell Wilson how much she admired her.
“I love you so much! You’re so inspirational!”
Despite admitting that she once played basketball but wasn’t very good, Gauff was thrilled to meet one of her sporting heroes.
Wilson reciprocated the praise, calling Gauff “amazing.” The encounter further highlighted Gauff‘s own role as an inspiration. At just 20 years old, Gauff was chosen to be Team USA’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony-a significant honor she shared with NBA legend LeBron James. This recognition cemented Gauff‘s status not just as a rising tennis star but as an inspirational figure on the global stage.