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Alpine skiers Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn extended heartfelt wishes to Coco Gauff after the tennis star clinched the 2024 China Open title, her 101st match at a WTA 1000 event. Gauff came fresh off her Grand Slam doubles victory with Katerina Siniakova at the 2024 French Open.
Ninety-seven-time World Cup winner Shiffrin and Vonn, a former alpine skier with 82 World Cup wins, share a love for tennis. Shiffrin opened up on how the World No.1 Iga Swiatek has been one of the biggest inspirations in her life, while Vonn has often talked about her close bond with the legendary Roger Federer.
Recently, the top two US alpine skiers praised their fellow American, Coco Gauff, after the World No. 6 lifted her 2024 China Open trophy by defeating Czech player Karolina Muchova in straight sets 6-1, 6-3.
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Shiffrin wrote:
"Congrats @CocoGauff," paired with a couple of celebratory emojis.
Vonn chimed in to write:
"Yessss Coco!!!!"
At the 2024 US Open, the Georgia native failed to defend her title, marking a fourth-round exit after a defeat against Emma Navarro. Lindsey Vonn extended support, calling her a 'champion'.
Gauff participated in the doubles tournament at the Paris Olympics but couldn't go past the quarterfinal round. However, the 20-year-old became the youngest flag-bearer of the American team, which garnered appreciation from the alpine skiing great Mikaela Shiffrin.
"What a well deserved honor! Congrats, @CocoGauff - can’t wait to cheer you and the rest of @TeamUSA on the next couple of weeks!" Shiffrin wrote in her X.
Gauff also participated in the singles tournament in Paris but lost to Donna Vekic in the third round.
Mikaela Shiffrin congratulated Coco Gauff when the latter was named to Time Magazine's 2024 Women of the Year list
Early in 2024, Gauff etched her name in Time Magazine's 2024 Women of the Year list as the youngest woman and only athlete, alongside greats like Greta Gerwig and Jacqui Patterson. On receiving the honor, she received appreciation from Mikaela Shiffrin, who thought the achievement was well deserved.
"Much-deserved @CocoGauff," Shiffrin wrote.
Vonn and Shiffrin have been huge inspirations for another player, the World No. 1 in the WTA rankings, Iga Swiatek.
"They are huge inspirations for me. I don't know, I just feel like our sports are kind of connected because these are the only two sports where I feel individual with women having the same events and the same rhythm as guys," Swiatek said (via Eurosport).
Mikaela Shiffrin will soon embark on the 2024-25 Alpine Skiing World Cup tour, while Coco Gauff will take the court at the 2024 Wuhan Open on Tuesday, October 8.
