Coco Gauff wins French Open: Michelle and Barack Obama, Billie Jean King, Carlos Alcaraz and more congratulate the 21-year-old star

Yahoo

4 hours ago

On Saturday, Coco Gauff etched her name into tennis history as the winner of the 2025 French Open. The 21-year-old tennis phenom defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to win her first title at Roland-Garros and her second Grand Slam.
After Gauff's big win, the young American earned the praises of a number of big names, who applauded Gauff for her tenacity and talent.
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Former First Lady Michelle Obama congratulated Gauff in a post on X, alongside a video of Gauff's championship point.
"Your determination, strength, and grace throughout the French Open has inspired us all — and showed us what's possible. Proud of you!" Obama wrote.
President Barack Obama chimed in soon after.
"Congratulation to @CocoGauff for an amazing championship at the French Open — the first American singles champion at @RolandGarros in a decade," the former president wrote in a post on X. "You make us all proud."
Billie Jean King, the founder of the WTA, saluted Gauff on social media soon after her victory, congratulating her on her accomplishments. "Outstanding!" King added in the post.
Gauff was also praised by another young tennis star, Carlos Alcaraz. "Many congrats @CocoGauff!!!" he wrote on X. Alcaraz will play in his own French Open final on Sunday against Jannik Sinner.
Another tennis champ, Martina Navratilova, also congratulated Gauff on the victory.
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"A great comeback and fight!" Navratilova, who won two French Opens of her own, wrote on social media.
Notably, after Gauff won the match, the first person she greeted was director Spike Lee, whom she hugged before she'd even hugged her own parents. Lee, a noted sports fan, was one of many familiar faces in the crowd at Roland-Garros on Saturday.
Gauff also earned some praise from actor Matthew McConaughey, who congratulated Gauff for her "2nd major and 1st on clay."
In a South Florida crossover, the Miami Dolphins and Miami Heat took the time to honor Gauff for her win. Gauff, who was born in Atlanta, grew up in Delray Beach, Florida, and has strong South Florida roots.
Perhaps most unexpectedly, the Merriam-Webster dictionary also praised Gauff, alongside a video of the tennis star explaining the definition of the word "love."
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"Congratulations to Coco Gauff for winning her first French Open title! We really LOVE this," the account wrote.