Coco Gauff is one of the most promising talents in the tennis world today. And a glimpse of that is on display at the 2025 French Open, where she punched her ticket to the semi-finals after defeating fellow American Madison Keys.
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However, what made her win against Keys even more special was that it marked her fourth victory at the French Open after losing the first set and coming back to win the second. According to ESPN Research, this ties her with Elina Svitolina for the most such comebacks without a loss since 2019.
That said, for all her dominance on clay, Gauff is still very much a proud American off the court — and like many Americans, she has a deep love for football.
Back in 2022, Gauff was spotted courtside (or should we say field-side) at Hard Rock Stadium, cheering on her hometown team, the Miami Dolphins.
She even let out a spirited “Let’s go, Dolphins!” chant on the field with the team’s mascot, T.D., and met wide receiver Jaylen Waddle that day. Meeting the Dolphins star wasn’t her first fan moment, though, because earlier that year at the Miami Open, she had met Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips, another of her childhood favorites.
But what stole the show that day wasn’t just her energy or cheer squad tryout. It was the fantasy football team she drafted, using her fellow tennis pros. “Well, I don’t know if I can name enough for a whole team,” Gauff began, “but I’ll do like the main positions.”
At quarterback, her choice was clear: Rafael Nadal. “I feel like he makes the right plays at the right time,” she said — a fitting description for a player with 22 Grand Slam titles and an unrivalled knack for timing.
For defense, Coco Gauff went with Nick Kyrgios. “I never see him throw a football… or like run at football, so I don’t know,” she laughed, already leaning into the light-hearted nature of her team.
Recognizing that NFL squads need size and muscle too, she turned to Frances Tiafoe to be the foundation of her team. “He’s pretty built,” the 21-year-old Tennis star observed. “So I’m gonna add him to the team.”
And as for the coaching staff? Coco Gauff hilariously picked someone she could count on to keep things calm. “I need somebody that’s gonna like keep me calm… I’m gonna be the coach. So I think I’m gonna go with Caty McNally to do that job.”
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But the icing on the cake for Gauff came later in the day when the Dolphins beat the Houston Texans 30-15. With her on the sidelines, Miami won big, so perhaps she’s the lucky charm they didn’t know they needed.
And if that’s the case, Tua Tagovailoa & Co. would love to see her be a regular at the Hard Rock Stadium for the coming season. Because the way things are going for the club, they certainly need some luck.
