“I’ve been chasing that for a long time,” Florida Panthers’ coach Paul Maurice said last year after his team beat the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup final with a 4-3 series victory. It was the first time in their 32-year history that the team—belonging to the Miami metropolitan area—clinched this coveted NHL trophy. And guess what? The Panthers have replicated the same result this season too. On Tuesday night, facing the Oilers for the second-straight time in the final, they emerged as the defending champions with a thumping scoreline of 5-1. Unsurprisingly, the congratulatory messages are still pouring in from all directions. Avid fans are cheering for their favorite team’s epic triumph. Among them is also the American tennis sensation and two-time slam queen Coco Gauff.
For the uninitiated, Gauff’s connection to Florida goes deep. She was born in Atlanta but during her childhood phase, her parents Corey and Candi Gauff, moved to Delray Beach in South Florida to make sure she took proper training at the Delray Beach Tennis Center to pursue her professional career. Her love for Florida always surfaces, time and again. For example, when she came back to the place, after a long time, to compete in an exhibition match at the 2020 Delray Beach Open, the crowd showed her a lot of support. After her win over Spain’s Estela Perez-Somarriba (6-3, 6-3), she said, “It feels great to play in front of my family and friends who haven’t gotten to see me play live at anytime in my life,” reported Local10 back in February 2020.
Back in March, Gauff’s apparel partner, New Balance, even released an exclusive ‘Coco Delray’ shoe “influenced by the Florida city where Coco Gauff grew up and trained,” reported WPTV back in March. The brand did it to celebrate Gauff’s 21st birthday. So it was obvious for the newly crowned French Open champion to root for the Panthers. After they scripted history at the Amerant Bank Arena while pocketing $6.5 million for their postseason run, Gauff took to her Instagram and shared a story. Dropping a picture of Panthers, she simply wrote, “Soflo” (South Florida).
It seems like both the Panthers and Gauff have decided to make South Florida fans proud in 2025. While the NHL team has continued its Stanley Cup domination, the World No.2 lifted the Suzanne Lenglen trophy just a few days back in Paris. After defeating World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka (6-7, 6-2, 6-4) in the summit clash, she won her second slam title. The victory came in her second French Open final after 2022 when she was bested by Iga Swiatek.
Now that Gauff has accomplished her Roland Garros dream, it’s time for the next challenge. The grass slam at the All England Club. Contrary to her performance on clay, the green surface has remained a big mystery for her. But this season, she’s looking to change the pattern with a unique tactic. And what exactly is it?
Coco Gauff reveals key strategy to shine at Wimbledon
After making her Wimbledon debut in 2019, Coco Gauff has struggled to shine in this major. Her best run includes reaching the fourth round. Last season, she missed the QF phase after losing to compatriot Emma Navarro. The latter bested her with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-3.
After the match, the World No.2 said, “We had a game plan going in, and I felt that it wasn’t working. I don’t always ask for advice from the box, but today was one of those rare moments where I felt I didn’t have solutions,” reported the New York Post back in July 2024. This season, however, it appears she’s full of confidence. Especially after becoming a two-time major champion.
Gauff has come up with a plan to impress on the grass surface at the All England Club. During an interaction with Vogue, she said, “Grass has been trial and error for me. The biggest thing, I think, is just to be more aggressive.” She added, “On clay, you have a little more time; you can slide, you can use the height of the ball’s bounce a bit more. That’s less so on grass.”
Going into the Wimbledon campaign this time, her main focus will be to just play “more aggressively… and I want to serve a lot bigger.” To prepare in the best way possible, she’s set to compete in Berlin this week. At the WTA 500 grass event, she will kick off her campaign against China’s Xinyu Wang on Thursday.
What are your thoughts on the American WTA star’s prospects at Wimbledon? Can she replicate her clay performance on grass too? Let us know in the comments below.
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