After an emotional end to her Madrid Open campaign, American tennis star Coco Gauff found comfort in a simple but powerful gesture from her mother. Candi Gauff sent a message of love and encouragement following Coco’s runner-up finish to Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the prestigious WTA 1000 tournament.
A Look at Coco Gauff’s Performance in Madrid
Gauff, the fourth seed in the Spanish capital, toppled Dayana Yastremska, Ann Li, Belinda Bencic, seventh seed Mirra Andreeva and former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek en route to the final. The 21-year-old was making her fifth appearance in Madrid and reached her 11th career WTA singles final after navigating a difficult draw.
However, she ultimately fell 3-6, 6-7(3) to top seed Sabalenka, who clinched her third Madrid Open title and evened their head-to-head rivalry at five wins each.
Despite the sting of the loss, Gauff showed gratitude in her post-match reflections. Taking to Instagram after the trophy ceremony, she posted a photo proudly holding her runner-up silverware.
“Thank you madrid. Not the outcome I was hoping for today but a lot to be proud of. leaving here with my head up and more motivation to work even harder to do better next time #Godstiming.”
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Shortly after Coco’s message, her mother, Candi Gauff, re-shared the post on her Instagram stories with two red heart emojis:
Gauff will head next to Rome for the Italian Open, which begins May 6. With two semifinal runs already under her belt at the Foro Italico, the American holds 12-5 win-loss record at the event.
MORE: Coco Gauff’s Mother Candi Reacts to Daughter Creating History After Crushing Iga Świątek To Reach Madrid Open Final
A Look at Coco Gauff’s Runner-Up Speech in Madrid
During the trophy presentation ceremony, Coco Gauff opened her speech by expressing gratitude to her “Lord and Savior” Jesus Christ, thanking Him for the opportunity to reach the final.
“I’d like to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ to be here and the opportunity to play in the final. I’d like to congratulate Aryna [Sabalenka] on an incredible tournament. You’re always tough to face. Congrats to your team. The last.. well you’re always doing well… but the last four straight finals. Congrats on all the success you’ve been having,” Gauff said.
Gauff acknowledged Sabalenka’s growth, citing her confidence and consistency as key factors for her win.
“I feel like she just got a lot better in everything. Probably every time I play her is tough and I don’t think today she played me any different than the other few, or 10 times we played. I think last time we played, I was serving better and it went my way,” Gauff said in a post-match press conference.
“Maybe she moves a little bit better, but she’s always been tough to play. So, I think she just probably is more confident, so that’s why the consistent results are happening, but she’s always been a great player,” she added.
