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via Imago

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Jimmy Butler is in the midst of one of those sensational playoff runs. Each season he shows off a different gear, tapping into something much deeper than the regular season. He has led the Miami Heat heroically and is now just a game away from the Finals. He is completely locked into the quest of bringing another championship to the city of Miami. Despite his unwavering focus on the cause, he finds time to cheer other athletes.

As an avid follower of tennis, Butler dedicated an Instagram story to a rising women’s tennis player who was once nervous to see him in the crowds.

Jimmy Butler cheers for Coco Gauff

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Coco Gauff has captured the hearts of the tennis world at the tender age of 19. In her short time as a professional, she was ranked number 4 in singles and has even held the number one spot in doubles. Her elegance on the court has stunned pundits of the sport as she prepares for another Grand Slam – The French Open. Only days before the tournament, she suffered a rather astonishing loss in the doubles final in Rome.

Yet, the defeat doesn’t seem to have wavered from her delight. She was all smiles as she walked out for practice on the French open court. As she begins her journey to capture the Grand Slam, she came so agonizingly close to winning last year, NBA star Jimmy Butler gave her the push of motivation through his Instagram story.

“@cocogauff let’s go,” he wrote. Butler has been an avid fan of the sport for a long time and this wasn’t the first time he displayed his support for the Atlanta native.

The day Butler showed up to support Coco Gauff at the Miami Open

During the Miami Open a few months ago, Butler watched several of the stars clash on the court. One of them was Gauff, who played a second-round matchup against Rebecca Marino. She won the game 6-4, 6-3 – a victory of comfort for the budding star. Surprisingly, it would be impossible to tell she was startled by how she calculatedly won her match.

“Jimmy Butler is here, so I was a little bit nervous when I saw him. I’ve watched games here all throughout my life,” said Gauff after her win at the Miami Open.

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As it turns out, the Miami Heat is the team she is deeply tied with. Naturally, she has seen a lot of Butler’s remarkable feats. Watching him play, she claims to admire his ‘dog’ mentality, something similar to her ferocity on the court.

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As the number six player in the world, expectations always lay on Gauff’s shoulders. Do you think she can deliver and win the French Open and redeem last year’s Finals loss? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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