What would you do if, in from of thousands watching in person and millions watching online or on TV. you managed to win a huge sporting event like the U.S. Open? Celebrate? Pop the champagne? Well, this year’s winner, an American named Coco Gauff, celebrated by getting on her knees and thanking the Lord.
As could be predicted, woke, Disney-owned ESPN claimed on its Twitter account not that Ms. Gauff was giving thanks in prayer, but rather that “.@CocoGaufftook a moment to soak it all in after winning her first Grand Slam title ❤️“
That earned Sports Center a swift rebuke from former NFL coach Tony Dungy, who said, “I hate to break this to you SportsCenter but Coco Gauff was not “soaking it all in” at this moment. She was praying. She has been very open about her Christian faith in the past. It seems pretty obvious what she is doing here.”
I hate to break this to you SportsCenter but Coco Gauff was not “soaking it all in” at this moment. She was praying. She has been very open about her Christian faith in the past. It seems pretty obvious what she is doing here. https://t.co/UOZ6zoCEPC
— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) September 10, 2023
Mr. Dungy is open about his Christian faith on Twitter. Posting on Sunday morning, he said, “On my Sunday morning walk listening to @taurenwells @israelhoughton and @michaelwsmith So grateful to them for using their voices to remind us we are here to praise the Lord! I have so many things to be thankful for in my life. I need to praise Jesus & point people to Him🙏🏽”
Gauff, commenting on her prayer after the incident, said, “Oh my goodness. It means so much to me. I feel like I’m a little bit in shock in this moment. That French Open loss was a heartbreak for me. I realized God puts you through tribulations and trials. This makes this moment even more sweeter than I could imagine. I don’t pray for results. I just ask that I get the strength to give it my all. Whatever happens, happens. I’m so blessed in this life. I’m just thankful for this moment. I don’t have any words for it, to be honest.”
Watch that here:
Coco Gauff spoke about her faith in God after winning the US Open:
“Oh my goodness. It means so much to me. I feel like I’m in shock. That French Open loss was a heartbreak. I realized God puts you through trials. This makes this moment even sweeter than I could imagine. I don’t… pic.twitter.com/5Lkbz9F2gU
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 9, 2023
She also said, thanking the Lord out loud in addition to her prayer, “It’s unbelievable, 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.”
Further, commenting on her faith early in August, Ms. Gauff said, “I want to thank my Father, God for this. After losing 1st round Wimbledon it was a tough situation. A lot of prayer, a lot of support from my church family. So thank you to him & those who support me.”
One more example of her faith comes from the New York Times. It reported, in an article on Ms. Gauff and her faith, “Corey and his daughter pray together before every match — not for a win but for the continued good health of both players.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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