Coco Gauff defeated Spain's Christina Bucsa in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday to reach the fourth round of the 2026 US Open

After the victory, Gauff took her on-court interview opportunity to express gratitude to the tournament staff, educators in her family, and working Americans during Labor Day weekend.

"There's a lot. I mean, obviously medical workers, first responders, teachers, educators. Special shout-out to all the US Open staff here. They've been making my day... I'm just thankful to all the working Americans who make our country go around," Gauff said.

She even shared a funny moment with the crowd about one staff member named Sheriff. Sheriff keeps testing her before matches with riddles.

Gauff joked that Sheriff was the only one not making her day— because she couldn't solve his riddles

Then, Gauff thanked the spectators who spent their time and money to cheer her on.

"And thankful to all of you guys for using your hard-earned money to come and support tennis, especially women's tennis. It means a lot, so yeah, thank you," she added, per a video shared by espnW on X.

The sweetest moment came right after that. Gauff pointed toward her family box and gave love to the women who raised her.

I want to give one more shout-out to my grandmothers and my aunt—she's in the box—and my mom. They're all teachers, 10-plus, 20-plus years. So yeah, I want to give a shout-out to them and all the educators in my family that I might have missed," Gauff said.

Her mother, Candi Gauff, competed in track and field at Florida State University before working as a teacher in Atlanta.

When Coco Gauff's tennis started taking over, Candi Gauff stepped away from the classroom to homeschool her, a decision she described as central to how Coco developed both as a player and a person.

Her maternal grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, spent years working in public education in Delray Beach.

Her aunt, Joi Odom Grant, is a common name at Gauff's biggest matches over the years and, by Gauff's own account, another longtime educator in the family.

Coco Gauff hands home fans a gritty Labor Day win

Saturday's win was Gauff's ninth in a row on the WTA Tour, a streak that started with a title run at the Cincinnati Open and has carried her through three rounds in New York.

She's beaten Zeynep Sonmez, Paula Badosa and now Bucsa to get here.

It wasn't vintage Gauff, though. She won just 49% of her first serves against Bucsa and leaned heavily on defense for most of the first set before finding her rhythm.

Her win was especially vital on a brutal day for American fans when Madison Keys and Amanda Anisimova lost their games.

Gauff saved the day for the home crowd, joining Jessica Pegula, Taylor Townsend, Emma Navarro, and 18-year-old rising star Iva Jovic in the round of 16 to keep American fans' hopes.

However, the fourth round is exactly where Gauff's last two US Opens have ended.

In 2024, as the defending champion, she was upset by fellow American Emma Navarro. And last year, she ran into a red-hot Naomi Osaka, who beat her in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.

This time, the round-of-16 test comes from 14th-seeded Jovic, the 18-year-old American who outlasted Filipina star Alexandra Eala, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a three-hour battle on Saturday.

Written by

Md Saife Fida