“That dog in him, I really admire,” Coco Gauff talks of her fan-girl moment with Jimmy Butler
Coco Gauff advances to the third-round match at the Miami Open and will face Anastasia Potapova
Follow Us
Coco Gauff and Jimmy Butler
During his time in South Florida, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler had garnered a significant fan following, including a notable endorsement from another local celebrity. On Thursday, professional tennis player and South Florida native Coco Gauff was pleasantly surprised to spot Butler in the stands during her second-round match at the Miami Open.
Despite the unexpected sighting, Gauff remained focused and went on to claim a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win over opponent Rebecca Marino on Stadium Court. The victory marked a successful start to Gauff’s 2023 Miami Open campaign. Gauff is currently having her best time of the season playing in front of her home crowd and watching her favorite NFL and NBA stars play.
Speaking after her latest win, Gauff talked about her favorite NBA star, Jimmy Butler and said, “Well, when I saw Jimmy Butler, I mean, he was right next to my towels. I had no choice but to see him. It was really cool because I love watching the Heat, they’re my team. He has just, like, that mentality, that dog in him, something that I really admire a lot.”
She further added and said, “Yeah, I always do that when I’m on the court, but I was, like, I hope he sees that in me. Yeah, also I met a couple of NFL players, too, that played for the Bills. They might have been here for Jazz, but I’m glad they stayed to watch my match. I just feel like you walk on the court, it’s just like c**zy because, A, I’ve watched games here all throughout my life.”
Related: WATCH: Dominic Thiem left in agony after a gut-wrenching defeat against Lorenzo Sonego in Miami
Coco Gauff comes in support of Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe has drawn parallels between tennis and basketball, calling on tennis authorities to permit fans to chat and move around during matches in order to entice new fans to the sport. Coco Gauff has agreed with Tiafoe’s stance, stating that she has never preferred complete silence during matches and that spectators’ movements would not distract her.
Speaking in the post-match interview, Gauff said, “It’s quite interesting what Frances said. I definitely think it would be more enjoyable for the fans, especially in the stadium, but I don’t know how players would be able to do that. I’ve always said tennis doesn’t need to be completely silent.”
Coco Gauff reached the third round of the ongoing Miami Open with ease. The sixth seed will now face the Russian, Anastasia Potapova later this week and it should be another fun game to watch. Gauff will be eyeing to go deep in the tournament and also win the title as Iga Swiatek misses out on playing the tournament.
Continue Reading:
Carlos Alcaraz named ‘Mike Tyson of Tennis’ by Daniil Medvedev’s coach Gilles Cervara
Stefanos Tsitsipas blames the quality of balls this season for his injury troubles
Stay Updated!
Santhosh Tenneti
(308 Articles Published)