"2 days ago my grandfather unfortunately passed away": Clara Tauson fights back tears after emotional Canadian Open win

Clara Tauson fought back tears in an emotional on-court interview after her quarterfinal win at the Canadian Open on Tuesday, revealing that her grandfather had passed away just two days earlier. The 22-year-old Danish star delivered a dominant 6-1, 6-4 victory over Madison Keys, but it was what came after the final point that truly moved the crowd in Montreal.

Standing on Centre Court moments after her win, the 22-year-old Danish star opened up about a devastating personal loss, her grandfather passed away just two days prior.

"Yeah, still in shock," Tauson began in her post-match on-court interview, her voice trembling as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Two days ago, my grandfather unfortunately passed away. So I really wanted to win for him today.".

She paused for a moment, visibly emotional as the crowd responded with applause and support.

"No, I'm definitely not done," she continued. "Yeah, I was told the day after I beat Iga yesterday. And, yeah, I really wanted to come out here and show my best tennis for him. Hopefully, he's watching.".

The candid admission added powerful context to what was already a stunning week for Tauson. Ranked around the top 20, she arrived in Montreal without the spotlight that accompanies many of the game’s big names. Yet match by match, she has been turning heads, starting with early-round wins over Lucia Bronzetti and Yuliia Starodubtseva, then shocking world number 3 Iga Swiatek in the Round of 16 in a gritty two-set battle.

Despite that, through it all, she was privately processing grief. Speaking in her post-match press conference, Tauson revealed that her grandfather had been instrumental in shaping her tennis journey.

"Yeah, he was a big supporter of my career," she said. "He used to coach me a little bit playing tennis and drove me to almost every single practice from my school.".

Tauson said she received the news the morning after her win over Swiatek elaborating by saying, "Yeah, it was tough news yesterday morning when I woke up, but I think it's for the better. He was not feeling great for a while. But yeah, always tough,".

While dealing with the emotional weight of the loss, Tauson managed to maintain incredible poise on the court against Keys. The American, a former US Open finalist and Top 10 mainstay, had no answers for the Dane’s heavy groundstrokes and confident ball striking.

Next up, Tauson will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in what promises to be a blockbuster semifinal on Thursday, August 7. The two have only met once before, in the Auckland final earlier this year, where Osaka was forced to retire mid-match due to injury.

Tauson’s recent form has reignited conversations in Danish tennis circles about whether she could follow in the footsteps of Caroline Wozniacki, who became World No. 1 in 2010 and won the Australian Open in 2018. Though for Tauson, the comparison is one she has long been aware of and unbothered by.

"I think I've always separated myself a bit from that, because I mean, obviously Caroline, she's one of the biggest influences in Danish tennis obviously because we're such a small country, and nobody really cares about tennis.".

She continued by saying: "But I think we're two very, very different playing styles, and I've always said that from a young age. I don't feel like I've had any kind of pressure like that. We've had some good juniors in the years after also. They never really made it here,".

As Clara Tauson prepares to face Naomi Osaka under the lights in Montreal, the stakes are higher than ever, not just in terms of rankings or career milestones, but in personal meaning.

No matter the result on Thursday, her resilience this week has shown that sport is often about more than titles; it is about heart and the stories we carry with us.