Remember what Coco Gauff did after beating Italy’s Martina Trevisan in the French Open semifinal? She made a statement that resonated beyond professional tennis. “Peace – End Gun Violence,” she wrote on the camera lens, a heartfelt plea for a change in the country. Fast forward 3 years, and Gauff is back with another lens message at the Miami Open. But this time, instead of a call for action, the American No. 1 chose lyrics from a Dominic Fike song, perfectly capturing her emotions after the match. But what exactly did she write this time?
Coco Gauff secured her second consecutive win over Maria Sakkari in Miami, following up her triumph in the Indian Wells. While their previous battle in California was a tight contest – with the first set going into the tie-breaker – this time, the American ace took control early, breaking serve twice in the first set and overcoming a slight dip in the second to seal a 6-2, 6-4 victory. The 21-year-old has now cruised to the 4th round without dropping a set, with the highlight of her campaign being her stunning 6-0, 6-0 win over compatriot Sofia Kenin in R64.
After the match against Sakkari, Gauff left a signature touch, on the camera; perfectly summing up her Miami Open journey so far. She scribbled a line from Dominic Fike’s song Sunburn, “When I die bury me in the sun – Fike.” Moments later, Fike himself reacted with a simple, but telling “” emoji in his IG story, clearly surprised by the unexpected shout-out!
But the fun didn’t stop there. Later, as Gauff posted a series of Instagram stories, she re-shared the image of her camera message, this time correcting her own lyrics with a laugh, writing, “lol lay**** not bury” while the song played in the background.
That, however, wasn’t the only post-match highlight after Coco’s R32 victory. The 9-time WTA singles title winner later took to IG, sharing a carousel of match moments, including the now-viral image of her writing on the camera lens. This time, she captioned the post with the correct lyrics: “When I die, baby, lay me in the sun .”
Staying loose and having fun seems to be Gauff’s game plan in Miami this year, but she’s also on a mission. Despite her dominance on the WTA tour, she’s yet to crack the QF at her home tournament in five previous attempts. And after her commanding win over Sakkari, she reflected not just on the viral moment but also on her performance, offering insight into what her biggest priority is on the tour amid the challenges.
“Would like to have another,” —Coco Gauff on clinching her another Slam
While her US Open triumph in 2023 remains the crowning achievement in her career, Coco Gauff, who recently turned 21, has yet to capitalize on her chances at Roland Garros since turning pro. She had a golden opportunity in 2022, reaching the final, but was denied her maiden Slam by former world top seed Iga Swiatek.
After beating Sakkari and making it to the pre-quarterfinals in Miami, Gauff also opened up about her next big goal. What’s that? Well, when asked whether she would prioritize reaching the top of the world rankings or securing another GS title, the American said, “Another major. I’ve always said… I don’t know, I feel like people remember you more off majors than world No. 1 ranking. Obviously if you could have both, that’s great. I think for me in my personal, especially with only having one, I would like to have another. Now, if I had like four and I hadn’t reached No. 1, then that maybe would be a different story. But only having one? I would like to have another just to cement myself even more.”
Gauff is now set to face Magda Linette on Monday at the Miami Open in what promises to be an intriguing matchup. The Polish veteran has been in solid form, taking out Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, and Linda Fruhvirtova, all in straight sets to secure her place in the fourth round.
However, Gauff holds a commanding 2-0 lead in their H2H meetings, including a dominant win last year in Wuhan. Given her strong record against Linette and the fact that she is playing on home turf, Gauff looks a strong favorite going into this encounter. Are you backing her to make it to the quarterfinals?
The post “When I Die”- Coco Gauff Finds the Perfect Miami Open Anthem With a Special Dominic Fike Shoutout appeared first on EssentiallySports.