Coco Gauff Hits Back After Being Told to ‘Live a Little’ for Using Phone Right After Cincinnati Win

Coco Gauff ended her trophy drought at the Cincinnati Open with a straight-set win over Jessica Pegula. It was her first victory since last year’s Wuhan Open.

Prior to Cincinnati, the 22-year-old played two finals, both in WTA 1000 events. After losing to Aryna Sabalenka at the Miami Open, Gauff failed in her title defense at the Italian Open, losing to Elina Svitolina.

But now, Gauff is a four-time champion in WTA 1000 events. She, in fact, clinched her second title in Cincinnati, as it was here back in 2023 that she lifted her career’s first Big Title.

Right after her win in Cincinnati, Gauff FaceTimed her family but drew criticism from an X user. The user is not a fan of players picking up their phones after matches and told the two-time Grand Slam singles champion to live a little.

Kinda hate how after the match the players immediately just bring their phones out… like omg live a little.

Gauff saw the tweet and decided to hit back, saying all she did was FaceTime her family. The user has deleted the tweet.

God forbid a girl facetimes her family to share the moment with them.

Coco Gauff wrote on X

Check out her post here:

God forbid a girl facetimes her family to share the moment with them

— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) August 24, 2026

Next is the US Open, and Gauff will be chasing her second title in the event. It was in her home Slam back in 2023 that Gauff lifted her career’s first Grand Slam singles title.

Last year at Flushing Meadows, Gauff’s campaign ended in the fourth round. This year in the Majors, Gauff produced her best performance when she reached the semifinals, losing to eventual runner-up Karolina Muchova. At the Australian Open and the French Open (she competed as the defending champion), her campaigns ended in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively.

Patrick McEnroe calls Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and Aryna Sabalenka the favorites to win the US Open

Aryna Sabalenka will enter the US Open as the defending champion. But she has been dealing with a slump in form, as she hasn’t yet clinched a title since defeating Coco Gauff at the Miami Open.

Iga Swiatek, however, is in good form. She ended her title drought at the Canadian Open and also made the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open. According to former ATP player Patrick McEnroe, Swiatek, Gauff, and Sabalenka are the heavy favorites to win the title in the last Major of the season.

I would go with Iga Swiatek on the women’s. I think she is [my] favourite. I like the way she’s playing. She is playing with a little bit more margin, not quite as offensive, which I think is actually very good for her. That’s sort of why I’m picking her.

Patrick McEnroe said during an ESPN media conference call

Before the Canadian Open, Swiatek had played just one tour-level semifinal, and it was at the Italian Open. She is a former champion in New York, winning in 2022 by defeating Ons Jabeur. But last year, she lost in the quarterfinals.

I don’t think she’s the [overall] favorite. It would probably be Sabalenka. I think Mary Joe [Fernandez] is spot on about Coco, in Cincinnati looked great the last couple matches. I’m not going to say it’s wide open on the women’s side, but there’s probably six to eight players that could win it.

Patrick McEnroe added

On the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz will play as the defending champion. He will compete in a tournament for the first time since the Barcelona Open, where he injured his wrist and skipped every event before the US Open.

Also read: Stan Wawrinka’s US Open Wild Card Snub Ahead of Retirement Sparks Wild Reactions – “Disgusting Decision”