Coco Gauff addresses 1 am finish with Taylor Fritz after tight United Cup battle

Coco Gauff recently put the spotlight on her late-night finish with Taylor Fritz at the 2025 United Cup. The American was thrilled to get the win with her partner ahead of some much-needed “sleep.”

Gauff made her United Cup debut on December 29 against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, opening her 2025 campaign with a promising 6-3, 6-2 win. World No. 4 Fritz, meanwhile, was unable to cross the finish line despite having the lead in his match against Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian eventually prevailed with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 scoreline, drawing level in the USA-Canada tie.

The deciding mixed-doubles clash had a late start, with the match dragging past midnight. Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz locked horns with Fernandez and Auger-Aliassime to seal a 7-6(2), 7-5 finish after 1 A.M. The pair, who were visibly exhausted, shared a celebratory hug after securing the group lead for the 2023 champions, USA.

Soon after, Coco Gauff shared her feelings on Instagram and updated fans about their shocking finishing time in Perth.

"1 am finish but we got the job done. @taylor_fritz," she wrote, adding the American flag.

Gauff on Instagram

The two top-5 players also filmed a video addressing their fans, where Taylor Fritz joked that his partner "carried him" during the match.

"What’s up, guys! Just clinched the match for Team USA. Coco’s carrying me. Yeah, we’re ready for the next round," he said.

Meanwhile, Gauff hilariously noted that they couldn’t wait for some much-needed rest before their tie against Croatia “tomorrow” (December 31).

"Ready to go to sleep. See you guys tomorrow," she said, smiling.

Gauff and Fritz on Instagram

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What Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz said about their United Cup mixed doubles match

Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz pictured at the 2025 United Cup - Image Source: Getty

Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz previously teamed up for mixed doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Interestingly, the pair reached the quarterfinals, where they were knocked out by Team Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Gabriela Dabrowski, who went on to clinch the bronze.

Before their United Cup clash, Gauff had expressed her desire to seek revenge against Canada for their loss in Paris. After making her wish come true, the 2023 US Open champion said:

"Really happy with how we played today in the mixed (doubles). I felt like we got better as the match went," she said in the on-court interview. "We had a lot of chances and finally we were able to stick it when it mattered."

Taylor Fritz chimed in, emphasizing the importance of the win after his disappointing defeat just hours earlier.

"It’s big. After losing my singles match the way I lost my singles match it would’ve been really tough to go home today with a mixed-doubles loss as well," he said, reiterating, "Thank you, Coco for carrying the team today, and we got it done."

Coco Gauff would now hope to avenge her Paris Olympics singles loss against Croatia’s Donna Vekic on Tuesday. Fritz, meanwhile, faces former World No. 12 Borna Coric.