Coco Gauff played a grueling round of 16 match right before Jannik Sinner took the court at the Foro Italico in Rome on Monday. Both won, but what went viral was an unscripted moment between two of the sport’s biggest stars. Gauff found herself unexpectedly crashing a fan gathering meant for the Italian hometown hero, leading to a playful jab from Gauff.
Why Coco Gauff Crashed Jannik Sinner’s Bridge Walk in Rome
One of Rome’s famous traditions is “bridge walks,” where players cross suspended walkways connecting the locker rooms to the main stadiums. This is also a place for fans to crowd these bridges just before their favorite athletes walk by.
This time, they knew it was Sinner playing, and they gathered around, awaiting the world No. 1. Instead, they were greeted by Gauff, who was heading back after her match on the same court, a 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 win against fellow American Iva Jovic.
Taking the surprise in stride, Gauff quickly jumped on Instagram to post the moment. “We love a bridge walk after Jannik plays lol,” she wrote to her millions of followers, adding, “glad they weren’t disappointed to see me tho 🤷♀️.”
Gauff had actually been playing into the crowd’s anticipation even before leaving the court. Following her dramatic round of 16 victory, she used her on-court interview to acknowledge the buzzing local fans. “I know you guys are ready for Jannik Sinner. Can we get some cheers for Jannik?” she asked.
After the stadium erupted, she laughed and said, “Ok ok. Wait. Can I have just a little cheer for me too?”
She also reposted a video of Sinner getting scared by the Tricolori flyover. About the fan support, Sinner said, “It’s quite impressive because I think of back where I’m from, a very small town. Under the bridge there are more people than people living in the town where I’m from.”
Gauff had a stunning comeback win, trailing 3-5 in the second set. She had to save a match point before forcing a decider.
Sinner took the court immediately after her and clinically beat Australia’s Alexei Popyrin 6-2, 6-0 in just over an hour.
Gauff has advanced to the quarterfinals to face world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva. Sinner is into the round of 16 and will play fellow Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino.
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High-profile departures have rocked the tournament. Carlos Alcaraz had already withdrawn with a right wrist injury, while Novak Djokovic suffered a shock early exit to Dino Prizmic. The world No. 1 is the obvious favorite on home soil, riding a dominant 30-match ATP Masters 1000 winning streak.
On the women’s side, top seed Aryna Sabalenka was stunned in the third round by 36-year-old Sorana Cîrstea. But the quarterfinals are set with heavyweights and dark horses. Iga Świątek will face Jessica Pegula, trying to regain her clay-court dominance, while Cîrstea looks to continue her Cinderella final-season run in a showdown against Jeļena Ostapenko.
No. 2 Elena Rybakina will clash with two-time Rome champion Elina Svitolina to round out the elite final eight. Gauff’s path won’t be easy, but it will give her a boost as she defends her French Open title.
