"I've said it in every speech": Coco Gauff responds to criticism after thanking God following Madrid Open final defeat

America’s Coco Gauff has responded to receiving criticism for openly sharing her religious belief at the end of the Madrid Open final. The 21-year-old, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in women’s tennis in the singles category, recently suffered a defeat in the final of the WTA 1000 event in the Spanish capital to reigning world number one Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6.

Gauff, during the post-match interview on the court, thanked the God for helping her go all the way and cementing a spot in the final of the competition. Those comments did not go down well with a certain section of tennis fans on social media who criticised the one-time Grand Slam winner for openly sharing her religious views at a big stage.

Gauff spoke to the media and discussed the issue. The 2023 US Open winner stated that she has no regrets about doing what she did, as she was not trying to force anyone to follow her belief. According to her, she shared her belief with the people who also believed in it.

"Yeah, it's super important for me,” she said. “I've said it in every speech. I know there's like a whole discourse about it online, but I've done it every speech that I've been on tour. I'm not out here trying to force anybody to believe in anything. I share my beliefs for people who also believe in it, as well. Yeah, I think for me you come to a point where you start criticizing people for saying anything, whether it's religion, or pride in their sexuality or anything like that, that's a bit of censorship. I think we all should be able to do what we want to do as long as it's not harming other people. For me it's important to share it and let other people know it helps me, it could also help someone else in their life."