Coco Gauff's former coach Patrick Mouratoglou, took to social media to share his immediate reaction of pride while watching his former charge claim the US Open title.
Coco Gauff had briefly worked with the Frenchman during the buildup to the 2023 French Open, when she didn't have a full-time coach. Mouratoglou stepped in to fill that void, and continue to enhance and develop the American's game on a short-term basis until a long-term solution was found in that department.
With that being said, as brief as Mouratoglou's coaching spell was with Gauff, the two have known each other for quite some time. Gauff has spent many years since the age of 10 training at the Mouratoglou academy, and there is definitely a great rapport between the two, even if sometimes from a distance.
Mouratoglou is never too far away when one of his former players strikes the jackpot in tennis, and Gauff's US Open success encouraged him to share his thoughts on social media.
First of all the Frenchman highlighted the overriding pride he felt watching her achieve a major title this early into her career.
"I remember clearly the first time I met you, Coco Gauff . You were just 10 years old and came to participate into the test weeks to be part of Mouratoglou Academy. From the start, I knew that you would have a fantastic career."
"I have been lucky to work and spend time with some of the biggest champions and the three things that stand out for me, you had them. An incredible athleticism, a huge competitiveness and the deep belief that you were different and able to achieve your big dreams."
Furthermore, Mouratoglou then talked through the journey of Gauff through the most critical stages of her tennis development, achieving notable things in the juniors before going on to establish herself as one of the very best in the last twelve months on the main tour of professional tennis.
"Your maturity and self-confidence impressed me, so rare for your age. It was obvious that your family was totally committed to fulfilling your potential. Over the past years, you have encountered challenges and has had to deal with more pressure than anyone can ever imagine."
"The way you have dealt with it has inspired me. You fearlessly used your voice to showcase your dedication, hard work, and resilience, proving to the world that you are not afraid of anything. I am so proud of you!"
The high-profile coach mentioned that Gauff always possessed similar qualities to previous champions he had worked with. Those qualities include a unique competitiveness, incredible athleticism and a deep belief that separated her from the rest.
He would go on to say that there are absolutely no limits to what she can go on to achieve, clearly adamant that this is only the starting point in terms of Grand Slam triumphs for Gauff moving forward.
"Coco, there are no limits to what you can achieve. I believed that when I first met you almost a decade ago, there is no better day to believe it even more. You truly are special. Congrats to your family, to the team that has driven you to make the latest step to your 1st Grand Slam victory!"
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