Coco Gauff was mistakenly called ‘Simone’ in front of the Arthur Ashe crowd by ESPN reporter Katie Geroge in an awkward error at the US Open on Thursday night.
Gauff had just beaten Donna Vekic with gymnastic great Simone Biles, her close friend, watching from the stands in New York. The home favorite had advanced into the third round in an emotional game – Gauff cried in the first set as she struggled with her serve.
And after grinding out a hard-fought win, ESPN reporter Katie George then addressed Gauff as ‘Simone’ before asking for the tennis star’s thoughts on her victory.
‘Simone, this match had it all,’ George said. ‘Excitement, entertainment, emotion. What was it like competing in this one?’
George was seemingly unaware of her mistake and she didn’t correct herself but the reporter had interviewed Biles during the match earlier in the night, perhaps causing the slip-up.
The 21-year-old Gauff wiped away tears once more as she spoke to the crowd after the game and said that the presence of Biles, a seven-time Olympic gold medal winner, inspired her win.
Coco Gauff got emotional after the match and at one point called Simone Biles an ‘inspiration’
Biles spoke of her admiration for Gauff and called the young tennis player ‘incredible’
‘I saw her, and honestly I don’t know if she’s up there [right now], but she helped me pull it out,’ Gauff said afterwards.
‘I was thinking, like, ‘If she can go on a six-inch beam and do that with all the pressure of the world, then I can hit the ball… she’s an inspiration.’
Gauff added that seeing Biles in the stands ‘brought me a little bit of calm, just knowing her story with all the things she’s been through mentally.’
Biles infamously dealt with the ‘twisties’ during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, a scary phenomenon in which gymnasts lose track of where they are in the air.
The Team USA star ultimately pulled out of the uneven bars, vault and floor exercise competitions as she prioritized her physical and mental health.
She returned to form at the 2024 Paris Olympics as she scooped up three gold medals and a silver.
In her own ESPN interview during the match, Biles called the tennis player ‘Incredible’ and said that she was drawn to the US Open to watch Gauff’s ‘Black Girl magic.’
Gauff has had a tumultuous time of late after firing coach Matt Daly just days before the tournament and replacing him with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan.
ESPN reporter Katie George was talking to Gauff after her latest win at the US Open
Gauff and Biles shared a hug after the match and exchanged some kind words
Gauff burst into tears during her US Open victory over Donna Vekic on Thursday night
And Biles added of the mental strength that Gauff has had to show of late, following her coaching changes: ‘I’m supportive 100 percent, because I know what that’s like. To see her take ownership of her career, of the court, all of that is just amazing to watch.’
After Gauff heaped some more praise on Biles in her post-match press conference – saying that her and Serena Williams were on her ‘Mount Rushmore of athletes’ – the pair were able to meet up following Gauff’s second round win.
In a video posted by the US Open X account , the pair could be seen sharing a warm hug as Gauff once again called Biles an ‘inspiration.’
Biles, for her part, blew Gauff a kiss and wished her good luck for the rest of the tournament.
Despite Gauff’s struggles on Thursday, her eight double faults actually represented an improvement on her first round win over Ajla Tomljanović, in which she committed 10 double faults.
However, Gauff doubled just once in the second set on Thursday and will look to continue that form into her next matchup against Magdalena Frech.
