French Open champion Coco Gauff proud to represent 'Americans that look like me'
Newly crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff, the first Black American to win the title in a decade, said on Saturday her victory in Paris was for people back home who looked like her and struggled amid ongoing political turmoil.
Gauff battled from a set down to beat Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4 for her first French Open crown and her second Grand Slam title after the 2023 U.S. Open.
She is the first Black American to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015.
"It means a lot (to win the title), and obviously there's a lot going on in our country right now with things — like, everything, yeah. I'm sure you guys know," she said, smiling but without elaborating further.
"But just to be able to be a representation of that and a representation of, I guess, people that look like me in America who maybe don't feel as supported during this time period, and so just being that reflection of hope and light for those people."
There has been ongoing political turmoil in the United States following the election of President Donald Trump last year.
Trump's first few months in office have featured an unapologetic assault on diversity and inclusion efforts, unraveling decades-old policies to remedy historical injustices for marginalized groups in a matter of weeks.
In his second term, Trump revoked a landmark 1965 executive order mandating equal employment opportunities for all, slashed environmental actions to protect communities of color and ordered the gutting of an agency that helped fund minority and female-owned businesses.
The actions have alarmed advocates, who say they effectively erase decades of hard-fought progress on leveling the playing field for marginalized communities.
"I remember after the election and everything, it kind of felt (like) a down period a little bit, and my mom told me during Riyadh (in November 2024) 'just try to win the tournament, just to give something for people to smile for.'
"So that's what I was thinking about today when holding that (trophy).
"Then seeing the flags in the crowd means a lot. You know, some people may feel some type of way about being patriotic and things like that, but I'm definitely patriotic and proud to be American, and I'm proud to represent the Americans that look like me and people who kind of support the things that I support."
Trump has previously denied claims he has employed racist attacks and an agenda throughout his political career.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NHK
2 hours ago
- NHK
Trump administration sending Marines to LA in response to immigration protests
The administration of US President Donald Trump says it is sending Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests over its immigration policy. It earlier deployed National Guard troops to the city. The protests started last week over a crackdown on undocumented immigrants. Some protesters have turned violent. On Monday, demonstrations took place in several locations in the central part of the city. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday about 700 Marines will be sent to the Los Angeles area. The Wall Street Journal said that the last time Marines were deployed to quell civil unrest in the country was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The Associated Press quoted a US official as saying Marines will have protective equipment including helmets, shields and gas masks. California Governor Gavin Newsom has criticized the decision to deploy Marines as excessive. Protests against the immigration policy have spread to other parts of the country including New York, San Francisco and cities in Texas.
Kyodo News
3 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 10, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 20:00 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- G7 leaders may skip joint declaration, 1st since 2014: Japan source TOKYO - The Group of Seven nations are likely to skip a joint statement at the end of an upcoming three-day summit in Canada, a Japanese government source said Tuesday, marking the first time since 2014 the meeting would conclude without a consensus document. The move is apparently aimed at preventing the G7, known for its unity in tacking global challenges, from exposing internal divisions as leaders gather for their first in-person meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. ---------- Japan ruling bloc OKs campaigning on cash handouts in summer election TOKYO - Japan's ruling parties agreed Tuesday to include cash handouts for households hit by rising prices in their platforms for this summer's House of Councillors election, senior lawmakers said. The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition force, unveiled its election pledges Tuesday, highlighting a proposal to suspend the 8 percent consumption tax on food for at least one year, in sharp contrast with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which opposes tax cuts. ---------- Japan urges Iran not to "miss opportunity" for nuke deal with U.S. TOKYO - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Tuesday urged his Iranian counterpart not to "miss the opportunity" to reach a nuclear deal with the United States, as Japan seeks to help advance what appears to be delicate bilateral negotiations. During their phone talks, Iwaya was also quoted by his ministry as telling Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi that Japan will continue to make "utmost diplomatic efforts" toward a peaceful resolution, while they agreed to keep close communication. ---------- China's Xi urges new S. Korean leader Lee to improve bilateral ties BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping urged new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to promote a bilateral strategic cooperative partnership in their first telephone conversation on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. In a veiled reference to high U.S. tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump, Xi called for China and South Korea to "jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade" and "ensure the stable and smooth functioning of global and regional industrial and supply chains," the ministry said. ---------- Toyota, Daimler ink Japanese truck units merger deal for April 2026 TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. and Daimler Truck Holding AG said Tuesday they concluded an agreement to merge their Japanese truck subsidiaries under a new holding company, aiming to boost competitiveness and better respond to challenges posed by energy transition and technological innovation. Hino Motors Ltd., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor, and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp., a unit of Daimler, will operate under the holding company to be set up in April 2026 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime Market, with the parent companies each holding a 25 percent stake in the new firm. ---------- 4-meter-long sinkhole appears in southwestern Japan, no one injured FUKUOKA - A 4-meter-long sinkhole opened near a busy shopping district in central Fukuoka on Tuesday morning, forcing a closure of the area, though no injuries were reported. Police received an emergency call at 9:50 a.m. reporting a collapsed sidewalk along a major road in the city. The hole, which spanned both the road and the sidewalk, measured about 2 meters wide and 2 meters deep, they said. ---------- Ex-Taiwan ruling party members indicted over spying for China TAIPEI - Four former members of Taiwan's ruling party were indicted Tuesday over spying for mainland China in violation of the self-ruled island's security laws. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said the four male suspects, including a former aide to former Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, had collaborated to gather and provide confidential government information to Chinese intelligence agents. ---------- Over half obtain political news via mass media in Japan: survey TOKYO - Over half of respondents said they obtain news about elections and politics from the mass media, while about 10 percent rely on social media, according to a survey released Tuesday by a think tank affiliated with an internet news app company. Although the mass media has recently been criticized for lacking neutrality and objectivity, 68.7 percent said the information they provide is "reliable," with 9.0 percent rating it "very reliable" and 59.7 percent "relatively reliable." Video: Rainy season begins in western, central Japan regions
Kyodo News
3 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Toyota proposes selling U.S. cars in Japan to promote tariff talks
KYODO NEWS - 13 minutes ago - 21:15 | All, World, Japan Toyota Motor Corp. has proposed to the government that it sell U.S.-made cars in Japan through its domestic dealership network, the company said in an online video. The proposal is intended to support Japan's trade negotiations with the United States over President Donald Trump's tariffs. Observers said increased imports of U.S.-made cars could help narrow the large U.S. trade deficit, a source of frustration for Trump. According to a video released on Monday, Chairman Akio Toyoda informed Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba during their May meeting that Toyota would be able to sell vehicles manufactured by U.S. automakers through its network of over 4,000 stores in Japan. The video also revealed Toyoda's willingness to consider reimporting U.S.-produced automobiles to Japan as an option. Under Trump's so-called reciprocal tariff regime, announced on April 2, nearly every nation in the world has been hit with a baseline duty of 10 percent, with Japan facing an additional country-specific tariff of 14 percent for a total rate of 24 percent. Japan, meanwhile, has been affected by Trump's extra 25 percent tariff on automobiles, along with other sector-specific levies imposed on national security grounds. Tokyo presented a package of proposals to Washington to reach a deal. Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's top tariff negotiator known as a close aide to Ishiba, is expected to visit the United States later this week for a sixth round of ministerial-level talks aimed at securing concessions over the series of tariffs. Related coverage: Japan, U.S. eye Ishiba-Trump summit in Canada on G7 margins Japan's top negotiator eyes U.S. trip this week for 6th tariff talks
