Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal send touching messages to Coco Gauff after American’s maiden French Open triumph

Tennis legends Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal heartily congratulated Coco Gauff after the American clinched her maiden women’s singles title at the French Open on Saturday, June 7. Gauff lost the first set of the tense final against reigning No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, but played some excellent tennis in the second and third sets to ultimately come out on top.

In the aftermath of Gauff’s 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 win over Sabalenka on the iconic Court Philippe-Chatrier, both Agassi and Nadal took to social media to congratulate the 21-year-old. On X (formerly Twitter), the Spaniard shared a post from the official Roland Garros handle celebrating Gauff as the “new queen of Paris”. He also added the following caption:

“Congratulations 🏆 @CocoGauff ! 👏🏻 Great battle, @SabalenkaA ! 💪🏼”

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Meanwhile, Andre Agassi, another former ATP No. 1, took to Instagram Stories to send his congratulatory message to Coco Gauff. The eight-time Major champion shared a post from The Athletic celebrating the fact that Gauff became the first American woman to win the French Open in a decade. Agassi captioned the post:

"Congratulations @cocogauff 🏆"

Agassi himself became a champion at Roland Garros in 1999, after he defeated Andriy Medvedev in the final. Meanwhile, Nadal is the record 14-time champion in Paris.

Gauff is an avid admirer of the 22-time Grand Slam winner. Last year, she recalled how she would "zone out" during practice sessions in the past when the Spaniard would be training on a court next to her.

"Rafael Nadal's the only one that my eye wonders to" - Coco Gauff

At a press conference during the 2024 Italian Open, Coco Gauff laid bare her admiration for Rafael Nadal. The American candidly recalled past practice sessions at practice courts where the Spaniard would be practicing in the vicinity and how that would lead to her watching him instead of focusing on her own training.

"His mentality and intensity is something I admire. Honestly, he's probably the only player that when I practice on the court next to him, I would literally zone out of my practice to watch him. I've practiced next to some incredible players on tour. He's the only one that my eye wonders to. No disrespect to other players, but it's something about him and his aura and the intensity in which he does everything," Gauff said.

Nadal's achievements at the clay Major were honored at the beginning of this year's tournament with a special tribute ceremony. Most notably, the Spaniard was presented with a courtside plaque on Philippe-Chatrier to celebrate his efforts at the prestigious event over the years.

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About the author

Sudipto Pati

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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