Dealing with criticism is an essential aspect of every sport. Every athlete has to undergo a phase in their career where people might downplay their efforts and quality. Be it the tennis sensation Coco Gauff or the 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace, who faced it for most of his career, criticism never renounces anyone’s side. But this has never kept them from working hard for it.

In his first-ever appearance in the elimination round of the playoffs, Bubba Wallace was determined to leave a mark. With the added pressure of making it to the next round, Bubba’s racing talent was doubted by many people. But following the conclusion of the final race of the first round at Bristol, the No. 23 for Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin has shut down his critics with another milestone for himself.

Bubba Wallace shuts down his haters

Being the only person of color in the Cup Series, Bubba Wallace has been in the crosshairs of haters for a long time now. Struggling to find wins, Bubba kept sight of his goals and continued giving his best. Coming into the playoffs with his qualification hanging by a thread, some people deemed his playoff spot redundant. They claimed Bubba did not have what it takes to compete against the sport’s big guns.

Was that enough to drag Bubba down? Absolutely not. Bubba finished 14th at Bristol to add 31 more points to his tally and ensure a spot in the final 12. Speaking in a post-race interview after a hard-fought qualification, he immediately returned fire to his doubters.

“God, I love that s**t right there. Counted us out. Like Coco Gauff said, all they’re doing is adding fuel to the fire. I love it. Love where I’m at this team.”

Referring to rising female tennis sensation Coco Gauff, who was recently crowned champion at the coveted U.S. Open, Bubba did not waste any time getting one back. Good things keep coming Bubba’s way as he gears up for his next venture, which only gets tougher from here on.

Read More: “Just to Have an Escape” – Bubba Wallace Opens Up About Dealing With Stress in His Playoffs Debut

Did Coco Gauff have a similar reaction to that of Bubba’s?

For a 19-year-old, Coco Gauff displayed incredible maturity with her playstyle at the U.S. Open. However, on every path to victory, there have been some thorns. In a similar manner to Bubba, Gauff has also been the target of online trolls and abuse. Post-win, she spoke about the same in the interview, implying that she was not going to let the criticism get to her head and instead use it as motivation to up her game.

“To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it and now I’m really burning so bright right now. I want to thank my haters. They be downloading my stuff so they can hear and talk crap about it, but it benefits me – hahaha!” stated Coco, slamming people who have been trying to hinder her development.

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Bubba Wallace was definitely right to take some inspiration from the youngster. Allowing such harsh words to get into one’s mind could have detrimental effects in the long run, without a doubt. But Bubba and Coco, from the looks of it, have mastered the art of using it to their advantage.