Gauff moves fast to ease Spike Lee's NBA pain
PARIS :When Coco Gauff saw that Spike Lee was attending her French Open final against Aryna Sabalenka, she felt she could cheer up the American film director after the recent NBA heartbreak suffered by his beloved New York Knicks.
Gauff upset world number one Sabalenka 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 on Saturday to win her second Grand Slam singles title.
"It was honestly the first time I really met him up close," Gauff told a press conference.
Having spotted Lee watching her in previous matches, including at the U.S. Open, Gauff was thrilled to see him courtside again during the warm-up against Sabalenka.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, Spike Lee is there'," she said.
"I thought, if I win this match, the first person I'm going to see is Spike Lee."
And she did, making a beeline for Lee to share a joyful celebration despite the Knicks' painful loss in the NBA's Eastern Conference finals last week.
"I wanted to tell him that even though the Knicks didn't win, I gave him something to cheer for," Gauff said.
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Picnics on the grounds are encouraged year-round, or stop for a glass of homemade lemonade (€4) or wine (€4.50) at La Guinguette du Fort, its outdoor snack bar with panoramic views of the port. Free entry to the complex, with prices varying by activity. 5pm | Gaze at Marseille from above Climb the near-vertical hill or take the bus (€1.70) to the Notre-Dame de la Garde, the basilica topped with its golden Madonna holding a baby Jesus in her arms. Its wraparound terrace opens onto the Mediterranean and a collage of Provençal rooftops, framed by villas carved into surrounding hillsides. From here, the Fort St Nicolas looks like a sandcastle. Inside, the ceiling is illuminated in an intricate mosaic; and, in the altar area, a mosaic depicts a sailboat crashing into waves. Throughout the church, boats hang from strings overhead, dangling over pews; nautical paintings and tattered rescue buoys are mounted on the walls. 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Coco Gauff of the US holds the French Open trophy, after winning against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. PHOTO: AFP PARIS - Coco Gauff said a maiden French Open trophy was 'one I really wanted' after securing the title with victory over Aryna Sabalenka on June 7. The 21-year-old secured a hard-fought 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 win over the world number one in difficult, windy conditions at Roland Garros. 'I felt like this is one I really wanted, because I do think this was one of the tournaments that when I was younger that I felt I had the best shot of winning,' said American star Gauff. 'So I just felt like if I went through my career and didn't get at least one of these, I would feel regrets and stuff. 'Today, playing Aryna, I was just, 'I just gotta go for it and try my best to get through the match'.' It was a long-awaited success for Gauff, who was in tears after losing the 2022 French Open final to Iga Swiatek as a teenager and had reached at least the quarter-finals in Paris in each of the previous four years. 'That ceremony when Iga won, I just remembered trying to take it all in and pay attention to every detail and just feel like I wanted that experience for myself,' added the world number two, who also came back from a set down to beat Sabalenka in the 2023 US Open final. 'When the anthem got played, I vividly remember watching her, pretty emotional when the Polish anthem got played. I was, like, 'Wow, this is such a cool moment'. 'So when the (USA) anthem got played today, I kind of had those reflections.' 'Not a day for great tennis' Gauff is the first woman to beat a world number one in a Grand Slam final from a set down since Venus Williams against Lindsay Davenport at Wimbledon in 2005. It was her first title since lifting the WTA Finals trophy in 2024, after suffering final defeats in both the Madrid and Italian Opens to Sabalenka and Jasmine Paolini respectively. Sabalenka called the conditions 'terrible', as the wind swirled after the roof was opened shortly before the start of the match. 'It was not a day for great tennis, honestly,' admitted Gauff. 'I don't know too many people that could play great tennis today, but it's part of the sport and part of playing outside.' American film director and diehard New York Knicks fan Spike Lee was in attendance and celebrated with Gauff after her victory. 'I wanted to tell him, I had to do it, that even though the Knicks didn't win, I gave him something to cheer for,' she said, in reference to the Knicks' defeat by the Indiana Pacers in the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals last weekend. Both players struggled on serve, especially in a 77-minute first set featuring eight breaks. Sabalenka said she thought Swiatek would have beaten Gauff if she had not ended the Pole's title defence in the semi-finals, but the actual champion shot down those thoughts. 'I don't agree with that. I'm sitting here,' said Gauff, who thrashed Swiatek 6-1, 6-1 in the Madrid semi-finals last month, taking a glance at the trophy next to her. 'Last time I played – no shade to Iga or anything, but I played her and I won in straight sets. 'I don't think that's a fair thing to say, because anything can really happen.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
