Coco Gauff Reveals Overlooked DM from Carlos Alcaraz During French Open

PARIS, France — Coco Gauff disclosed a humorous interaction with fellow tennis star Carlos Alcaraz during an interview while both players are competing in the French Open. The exchange highlights the connection formed between the two rising athletes when they were newcomers in the sport.

Gauff recalled that in 2019, after her impressive performance at Wimbledon, Alcaraz sent her a direct message saying, ‘Hey Coco, do you remember me?’ At that time, she did not respond as she did not remember him from their junior competition.

“I think I did well at Wimbledon in 2019, and Alcaraz DM’d me saying, ‘Hey Coco, do you remember me?’ because we won the Junior Fed Cup at the same time. I didn’t remember him, so I didn’t respond,” Gauff shared. Years later, after Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open, Gauff sent him congratulations.

Gauff made headlines in 2019 when she became the youngest player to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon after defeating Venus Williams in the first round. Although she has not yet won a Grand Slam title, she has been a strong contender in various tournaments.

In contrast, Alcaraz achieved a significant milestone by winning the US Open in 2022, becoming the youngest men’s champion since Pete Sampras in 1990. He expressed amusement about the original DM exchange.

“If you look at our DMs, our spread is like, ‘Hey, do you remember me?’ and me DM’ing him congratulations. I felt bad that I didn’t respond,” Gauff added.

Both athletes are currently competing in the French Open, with Gauff aiming for her first title of the season and Alcaraz pursuing his fourth. Gauff’s journey in this year’s tournament began with a match against Olivia Gadecki, and she is set to face Tereza Valentova in the next round. Meanwhile, Alcaraz has already advanced past Giulio Zeppieri and is looking to continue his successful run.

Gauff’s former coach Paul Annacone believes she has improved significantly, particularly on clay courts, and is one of the favorites to win the French Open. He noted her newfound confidence built during the clay-court season. “Coco has built up so much confidence during the clay court season already, feeling really good,” Annacone stated.

As both players progress in the tournament, fans are eager to see if this newfound friendship will continue to grow on and off the court.