Simone Biles offers Coco Gauff some inspiration and sense of calm at the US Open

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NEW YORK (AP) — Simone Biles provided some inspiration to Coco Gauff during a tough match at the U.S. Open on Thursday night. And after Gauff won, she was thrilled to get the chance to chat with the Olympic star.

Biles was in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands for Gauff's 7-6 (5), 6-2 victory over Donna Vekic in the second round. During her on-court interview, Gauff thanked Biles for being there and providing a boost — then delivered the message face-to-face.

Gauff, a 21-year-old from Florida who owns two Grand Slam titles, said the thought of Biles doing her job on a balance beam gave her confidence to know she could perform on a tennis court.

“She helped me pull it out,” said Gauff, who wiped away tears several times during and following the match. “It brought me a little bit of calm just knowing her story with all the things she went through mentally.”

Gauff said Biles is on her Mount Rushmore of athletes, along with Serena Williams.

During an interview on ESPN's telecast of the match, Biles said Gauff was the reason she returned to Flushing Meadows.

“She’s incredible, amazing and it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Biles said. “It’s just such a privilege to watch her on home soil and watch ‘Black girl magic.’”

Biles won four gold medals and one silver at the 2024 Paris Games, three years after pulling out of some events at the Tokyo Olympics because of a mental block — known in the gymnastics world as “the twisties” — that made her afraid to attempt certain dangerous moves.

Gauff said she's a fan of Biles' for "everything she went through on the mental side of things of the sport, something that I followed closely and tried to learn from."

“To see her there tonight kind of gave me a reminder that I needed,” Gauff said.

Biles praised Gauff for her grace and humility and empathized with the decision to hire biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan to help with her serve.

“As she gets older and matures, and now (that) she’s an adult, she gets to make these type of decisions that’s best for her career, so I’m supportive 100%, because I know what that’s like,” Biles said. “To see her take ownership of her career, of the court and all of that is just amazing to watch.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis