American teen tennis star, Coco Gauf, has revealed the secrets to beating Iga Świątek, the Polish professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association.
The teenager says she spent “many nights alone trying to figure it out,” expressing her gratitude to her “Lord and Saviour” Jesus Christ in her media interview immediately after she lifted the Cup at the WTA/ATP Cincinnati Open last Saturday.
It took eight tries, but American Coco Gauff finally prevailed over Iga Świątek, the Polish professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association.
Coco Gauf currently ranks sixth globally.
Gauff, 19, needed all three sets to defeat Świątek 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-4. The two battled in the first set, taking it to a tiebreak. Gauff eventually prevailed in the tie break 7-2. It was the first time in her career Gauff took a set off Świątek.
Before the momentum could fully shift toward Gauff, Świątek battled back. She took the second set 6-3, forcing a third and final set.
After another close back-and-forth, Gauff finally ended her losing streak against Świątek, taking the final set 6-4.
Gauff entered the tournament as the No. 7 ranked women’s player in the world. She moved up in the rankings following Saturday’s win.
This is not the first time the American tennis pro would be thanking God and her church. After winning the Mubadala Citi DC Open women’s final less than a month after her first-round Wimbledon loss, she said, “First, I’d like to thank my Father, God for this.
“After losing in first-round Wimbledon, it was a tough situation. You know, a lot of prayer and a lot of support from my church family. So thank you to Him and those who support me.”
The 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open took place between 31 July–6 August; while the 2023 WTA/ATP Cincinnati Open held from August 13-20.
Coco has always been public about her faith. In a New York Times Magazine piece from 2019, she revealed that she prays before every match, a practice she picked up from her father.
“Before every match since I was 8, my dad and I say a prayer together,” she explained. “We don’t really pray about victory, just that me and my opponent stay safe. After the match, I was just thanking God for this opportunity.”
Gauff added that it would be “stupid to waste a prayer on results.”
The nineteen-year-old has become a tennis sensation in recent years, making headlines in 2019 for becoming the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history. She went on to win her first-round match that year against tennis legend Venus Williams.
With the help of her team, Coco has only continued to grow as a player.
