How Justin Bieber inspired Coco Gauff to earn a comeback win at the 2023 US Open 

Coco Gauff is currently one of tennis’ biggest stars, as an American woman with two Grand Slam titles to her name.

Having already proven herself as a mainstay at the apex of the sport at such a young age, there are huge expectations about the career she could have in the years to come.

There’s a very valid argument to suggest that her star power actually dwarfs that of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s, given her overwhelming popularity.

READ: Why Donald Trump defended Serena Williams during the 2009 US

That is no better exemplified than in the calibre of guests she seems to attract to her matches, with the US Open always providing the perfect opportunity for big names to make an appearance.

Coco Gauff’s reaction to being watched by Justin Bieber at the US Open

However, there are arguably few bigger names on the planet than Justin Bieber, who was the headline figure sitting in the stands during the 2023 US Open campaign.

Among the other stars on display that day, Gauff will have been high on his list of priorities.

It must have been a surprise to therefore see her stumble into a one-set deficit against Elise Mertens, staring down the barrel of a third-round exit.

That was, until she looked up at the Jumbotron and saw who was in attendance. Turning the match around, the 21-year-old went on to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, and told ESPN afterwards: “I was like, ‘I can’t lose in front of Justin Bieber. I didn’t lose a game after I saw him.”

Then, speaking to the press later on, Gauff added: “It’s crazy. I’ve come to the Open for years. Being a fan, just looking in the crowd to see who’s coming, looking in the president’s box, the suites, to see who’s there… Now, being a player, it’s really crazy.

“I was definitely starstruck with Justin Bieber. ‘Never Say Never’ was one of my favourite songs when I was a kid. Then ‘Baby, Oh, Baby’. I could go through all his songs. Then Hailey, too, coming… I guess it was a little date night for them, which was really cool.”

Coco Gauff’s star power is huge

Gauff may have been left starstruck back in 2023, but for many, she is just as star-studded as the celebrities that come to watch her.

After all, you need only look back to how they reacted to her US Open triumph that year, as she soared to the title against all the odds.

Winning her maiden major, so many celebrities took to social media to praise her performance.

Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith, wrote: “HOLY AHHHHHHHHHH @cocogauff Congrats YOU DID IT GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU WON THE US OPEN AT 19!!!!!!!!!! Swag”.

Justin Timberlake simply claimed: “She is THAT!”

Elsewhere, the likes of Justin and Hailey Bieber, LeBron James, Will Smith and Zendaya would repost pictures of the American in celebration, who was just 19 at the time of this extraordinary success.

Since then, her star power has only grown.

Coco Gauff Reacts to Angel Reese’s Stunning Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Debut

Coco Gauff recently reacted to Angel Reese’s impressive debut at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. The annual fashion event took place on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at Steiner Studios in New York City.

Reese is a professional basketball player who plays as a power forward for the Chicago Sky in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She also played for the Rose BC in the Unrivaled basketball league, a league in which Gauff is an investor.

READ: Serena Williams Turns Heads in Red Dress and Baby Adira Makes

How Did Coco Gauff React to Angel Reese’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Look?

Reese made history by becoming the first professional athlete to walk the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and she was also the first athlete ever chosen as a Victoria’s Secret “Angel.” To prepare for her walk, she worked with a runway coach, Alexander Aleson, and showcased two different looks during the event.

After the Victoria’s Secret fashion show concluded, Reese shared a series of pictures of both her outfits and posted a video of her runway walk on social media.

“first @victoriassecret fashion show 💗 ,” Reese captioned her Instagram post.

Reacting to Resse’s Victoria’s Secret fashion show look, Gauff took to social media and described the basketball star as “unreal.”

“unreal!!!” Gauff commented.

On the tennis side of things, Gauff most recently competed at the 2025 Wuhan Open, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in the final to claim the title, her third WTA 1000 title and her 11th career WTA Tour singles title.

Leading up to her title run in Wuhan, the World No. 3 participated in the 2025 China Open as the defending champion. She won the title in 2024 by defeating Karolína Muchová in the final, but this year, she reached the semifinals before losing to eventual winner Amanda Anisimova.

Gauff Drew Heartwarming Reaction From Reese for Winning French Open 2025

Earlier this year, after Gauff won her second singles Grand Slam title at the 2025 French Open, she received a heartfelt reaction from basketball star Reese. The World No. 3 was seeded second at the clay-court Grand Slam, and she began her campaign by defeating Olivia Gadecki, qualifier Tereza Valentová, Marie Bouzkova, and 20th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first four rounds, respectively.

In the quarterfinals, Gauff overcame compatriot and seventh seed Madison Keys and advanced to the finals by eliminating wild card Loïs Boisson in the semifinals. In the championship match, she triumphed over top seed Aryna Sabalenka to win her first French Open singles title.

Gauff’s title victory at Roland Garros drew a reaction from Reese, who took to social media to praise the World No. 3’s achievement, referring to her as “the queen.”

Gauff had previously won the doubles title at the French Open. In 2024, she teamed up with Kateřina Siniaková and defeated the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the final to secure the title.