American teenager Coco Gauff expressed her gratitude to Jesus on Sunday as she clinched victory at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
The 19-year-old secured her third title of the year by defeating Karolína Muchová in straight sets. Merely two weeks prior, Gauff had emerged victorious at the DC Open.
"It's unbelievable," she said in a televised post-game interview on Sunday.
"... I'm just happy to be here in this moment. I'd like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's been a lot of nights alone crying, trying to figure it out. And you know, I still have a lot to figure out. But you know, I thank Him for covering me."
Athletics runs in her family: her dad, Corey, played university basketball, and her mum, Candi, competed in track and field events.
The tennis star, born in Florida, has previously been open about her faith. After her triumph at the DC Open, she shared a post on Instagram with a quote from Philippians 4:13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
It’s understood she attends the Saint John Missionary Baptist Church in Florida and was previously quoted in the New York Times revealing she prays with her dad before every match.
She said: “We don’t really pray about victory, just that me and my opponent stay safe.”