The contingent of Black athletes has earned high praise after stellar showings at the recently concluded French Open. Several high-profile tennis stars, including World No. 2 Coco Gauff and Taylor Townsend, have shown their appreciation for the remarkable success achieved by Black athletes at the second Grand Slam of the year.
Besides Gauff, who took down No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka to clinch her second Grand Slam championship, several other Black athletes performed commendably at Roland-Garros.
Two more Black Americans, Taylor Townsend and Evan King, were defeated by third seeds Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori in the mixed doubles final.
South African wheelchair tennis star Kgothatso Montjane secured her fourth Grand Slam champion title, partnering with Japan’s Yui Kamiji. Meanwhile, Brazil’s Vitória Miranda won both the girls’ wheelchair singles final and the doubles crown with Belgian partner Luna Gryp.
How Coco Gauff Reacted to the Success of Black Stars at the French Open
Ever since she burst onto the scene as a teenager, Gauff has embraced her Black heritage. After the French Open, the American tennis star lauded her fellow Black stars who had made an impact at Roland Garros.
Sharing a post by “Black Spin Global,” a platform for Black tennis stars, she lauded King and Townsend.
She captioned the Instagram story, “proud of us.”
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Gauff is still soaking in the glory of capturing her first Roland Garros, becoming the first American to win the coveted cup since Serena Williams in 2015.
Fresh off her massive win, the American made her debut at “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.” She also brought the miniature replica of the French Open trophy that the winners are presented with to the late-night show.
What Has Coco Gauff Said About the Challenges of Being Black in Tennis?
Coco Gauff has often spoken out about the challenges of being Black in a predominantly-white sport like tennis.
“Finding myself was difficult,” she admitted in a 2024 interview.
“Being Black in tennis is, sometimes, you do stick out like a sore thumb. Like in the Black community, tennis is not a huge thing. Nobody really knew anything about it. I had mentioned that I play tennis but nobody cared.”
However, she claimed that having the Williams sisters – Venus and Serena – as role models helped instill belief in her.
“I feel like for me, having role models like Serena and Venus to look up to made a difference. Honestly, I just remember watching Venus at the US Open. My dad got second row tickets and we were so close and that was a cool thing.”
“That’s what pushes me to keep going,” she added. “Just because the sport is predominantly white, you believe you can show that passion when you see somebody that looks like you being successful.”
