Coco Gauff, the World No. 3 in women’s tennis, has enjoyed a remarkable season, with the highlight being her maiden Grand Slam victory at the US Open in September. Her outstanding performance secured her a comfortable qualification for the 2023 WTA Finals held in Cancun, Mexico.
During the tournament, Gauff made a strong start by winning her opening match against Ons Jabeur with a commanding score of 6-0, 6-1. Although she faced a setback with a loss to Iga Swiatek, Gauff bounced back with a win against Marketa Vondrousova in the Group Stage, earning a spot in the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, Gauff faced her compatriot and doubles partner, Jessica Pegula. After losing the first set 2-6, Gauff was down 2-0 in the second set when rain abruptly interrupted the match. The weather took a humorous turn when the wind turned Gauff’s umbrella inside out and broke it. A video of the incident captured her smiling in resignation as a helper rushed to address the umbrella mishap.
The weather is so bad in Cancun that Coco Gauff’s umbrella literally crumbled pic.twitter.com/HsyNL68PT9
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) November 4, 2023
This rain-related disruption wasn’t unique to Gauff’s match. The Group Stage clash between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka also experienced rain delays, extending the match over two days. Additionally, Sabalenka’s semi-final against Iga Swiatek was postponed, with only three games played, and it is scheduled to resume on Sunday, November 5. As a result, the tournament’s final has been pushed to Monday.
Despite the challenges posed by the weather, fans found humor in Coco Gauff’s umbrella mishap. Social media was abuzz with comments and laughter as they witnessed her unflinching and lighthearted response to the unexpected incident.
As Coco Gauff continues to make her mark in the tennis world, her resilience and sense of humor in the face of unexpected disruptions further endear her to fans, both on and off the court.
Coco Gauff in 2023
WWLWWLWWWW At the moment ranked no.3 (career-high), Coco played her last match on the 4th of November when she was defeated by world no.5 Jessica Pegula 6-2 6-1 in the semifinal in Cancun (draw).
This season Coco has managed to achieve an overall 51-16 win-loss record. The American clinched 4 titles in 2023 in Auckland, Washington, Cincinnati and U.S. Open.
