Ahead of the highly anticipated China Open 2024, Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff went out to explore the Chinese capital. However, the young Spaniard messed up the pronunciation of his exploring partner’s name, something tennis lovers were quick to notice on social media.
In a video posted online by the ATP, it was revealed that Alcaraz and Gauff were exploring the Forbidden City in China while donning traditional Chinese clothing.
The awkward moment occurred when Alcaraz introduced Gauff to the fans in the video. He stuttered while pronouncing the American’s surname and ended up hilariously calling her ‘Coco Gawuwwuw.’
View this post on Instagram
Fans were unable to control their amusement at Alcaraz’s pronunciation of ‘Gauff,’ and they mocked the four-time Grand Slam champion in the comments section.
Fans pull Alcaraz’s leg for wrong pronunciation of ‘Gauff’ pic.twitter.com/p0mc74CgWz
— TennisWorld (@TennisWorl65157) September 26, 2024
A fan mocks Alcaraz for not getting Coco Gauff’s surname right pic.twitter.com/eRwB9eYQTz
— TennisWorld (@TennisWorl65157) September 26, 2024
The mocking continues… pic.twitter.com/G926ncsjNH
— TennisWorld (@TennisWorl65157) September 26, 2024
That said, the way Gauff handled the situation was commendable. Instead of pointing it out, she took it sportingly, deciding against creating a fuss about it. In fact, Gauff did not react at all and continued to speak her part in the video.
Fans could not stop gushing about the duo and stated that they looked ‘cute’ together. They also asked them to create more content together because they became the duo that ‘fans never thought they needed’.
In the video, the two expressed their excitement about being in China, sharing that they visited the city to ‘learn about the culture’ of the place.
Later, Alcaraz spoke about his visit to the Forbidden City in a pre-match press conference and lauded the country’s culture, labeling the outing as a great experience.
“I couldn’t go around much last year. For me, it’s great to see the culture here in China, see different things. Being there [in the Forbidden City] was a great experience for me. I’m really happy to be back here again in Beijing,” said the Spanish star.
Alcaraz’s China Open campaign will begin on Friday. He will face French tennis player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the opening round.
Gauff, on the other hand, will be playing her first China Open game on Friday against a French opponent, Clara Burel.
