Coco Gauff blasts accusations of forcing beliefs after thanking God during her runners-up speech at the Madrid Open

Coco Gauff played her first career Masters 1000 final on clay at the Madrid Open.

Coco Gauff blasts accusations of forcing beliefs after thanking God during her runners-up speech at the Madrid Open

Coco Gauff (via X)

Coco Gauff recently responded to criticism she faced after the Madrid Open final. The 21-year-old lost the final to world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6. Despite the loss, Gauff remains one of the top players in women’s tennis.

After the match, Gauff thanked God during her on-court interview. Some fans on social media didn’t like her public mention of faith. They criticized her for speaking about religion at such a big event.

Yeah, it’s super important for me. I’ve said it in every speech. I know there’s like a whole discourse about it online, but I’ve done it every speech that I’ve been on tour. I’m not out here trying to force anybody to believe in anything. I share my beliefs for people who also believe in it, as well. Yeah, I think for me you come to a point where you start criticizing people for saying anything, whether it’s religion, or pride in their sexuality or anything like that, that’s a bit of censorship. I think we all should be able to do what we want to do as long as it’s not harming other people. For me it’s important to share it and let other people know it helps me, it could also help someone else in their life.

Coco Gauff said in her pre-match press conference at the Italian Open

Gauff later spoke to the press about the reaction. She said that she stood by her words and had no regrets. She explained that her comments were not meant to push her beliefs on others.

The 2023 US Open winner added that she was simply sharing her faith. She said that her message was for people who also believe in God. Gauff made it clear she wasn’t trying to offend anyone.

Coco Gauff could have a rematch with Aryna Sabalenka at the Italian Open

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff could meet again soon at the Italian Open. They are both in the same half of the draw. Sabalenka beat Gauff in the Madrid Open final last week. The win tied their head-to-head record.

Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff (via X)

Sabalenka is the top seed in Rome. She will face Dayana Yastremska or Anastasia Potapova in her first match. She may then play Sofia Kenin in the third round and Daria Kasatkina in the fourth. Rising star Alex Eala is also in her section. Eala plays Marta Kostyuk in the first round.

If Eala wins, she could face Kasatkina next. Sabalenka might play Zheng Qinwen in the quarter-finals. Zheng will likely need to beat Elena Rybakina to get there. That match could be tough.

Gauff is the fourth seed in the draw. She plays either Arianna Zucchini or a qualifier first. She may face Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round. If all seeds win their matches, Gauff and Sabalenka could meet in the semi-finals.

Coco Gauff involved in a battle for World No.2

Iga Swiatek is aiming for a strong comeback at the Italian Open. She had a tough loss in Madrid, falling to Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-1. It was one of the worst defeats of her career, especially on clay. Swiatek had never lost to Gauff on this surface before.

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Image via Coco Gauff’s X account)

She didn’t defend her title in Madrid and lost valuable ranking points. She now has 6,773 points and stays at world No 2, but only just. Swiatek is also trying to win in Rome for the fourth time.

Coco Gauff reached the final in Madrid and moved up to world No 3. She now has 6,603 points and nearly passed Swiatek. Jessica Pegula dropped to world No 4, even though she gained points, now holding 6,243.

In the live WTA Rankings, Pegula is second since she has no points to defend in Rome. Gauff is dropping some points and now has 6,213 live points. Swiatek is set to lose 990 points in Rome and has fallen to 5,783 live points, placing her fourth for now.

Also Read: Aryna Sabalenka explicitly calls herself ‘bit*h’ while reflecting on her on-court demeanor