Coco Gauff explains story behind US Open tears as champion usually ‘cries alone’

Coco Gauff has explained why she cried after winning the US Open. The 19-year-old came from a set down to defeat new world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Saturday’s final, lifting her first Grand Slam crowd. But the world No 3 insisted that she wasn’t usually one for tears and would normally “cry alone”.

There were emotional scenes in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night as Gauff became a Major champion for the first time in front of a home crowd. Following her 2-6 6-3 6-2 victory over Sabalenka, the teenager was in floods of tears as she crouched on the court with her face in her hands.

She continued sobbing as she ran into the stands to join her parents and the three embraced and cried together. And Gauff has since shared the story behind the emotional moment, as the world No 3 isn’t usually known for getting tearful.

The newly-crowned US Open champion held an Instagram Live on Sunday morning and received some questions about the emotional moment. “I do never cry but US Open happened. I wasn’t expecting that, okay? Y’all say what you want, I was not expecting that,” she said of her tears.

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Gauff later elaborated on the reason she cried, referencing an old video that surfaced on social media. In the clip, a nine-year-old Gauff can be seen dancing to Call Me Maybe on Arthur Ashe Kids Day in the stands of the same court where she lifted the trophy.

“If you’ve been following me for a while you just know this has been something the world has put on me at a young age. I’m just happy that I was finally able to overcome all that to do it,” she explained. “So that’s where the tears came from and just a little bit of shock when I finished the match.

“Y’all saw that video where I was nine years old, I think that girl was crying to be honest. I don’t think I was crying to be honest, I think that girl in the video was crying because I don’t like to cry. Not in front of people, I’ll cry alone, I’ll cry over a movie or a TV show but in front of people, no.”

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The American also threw in a joke, adding: “Because I’m supposed to be a thug. Just kidding. I’m like my dad though, for real.” Gauff had referenced her dad’s tears during her victory speech on Saturday night, as she said it was the first time that she had seen him cry.

“Today was the first time I’ve ever seen my dad cry. He doesn’t want me to tell y’all that but he got caught in 4K. He thinks he’s so hard but he’s not,” she said of Corey, her dad and former coach

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