Coco Gauff has stormed into the 2025 season with a positive momentum. She led Team USA to the finals of the United Cup in Australia, winning all her matches and becoming the youngest player since Daria Kasatkina in 2017 to defeat the Top 2 players in the WTA consecutively. However, all the excitement came to an abrupt halt after her celebratory move following her victory over Iga Swiatek. Gauff was seen imitating a digging motion with her racket, which sparked confusion and controversy among fans. It’s a new and unfamiliar gesture on the tennis court, so what prompted her to go with this particular gesture?

The World No. 3 is no stranger to fun celebrations. She often showcases her dance moves on the court, but this time around, she opted for this new shoveling gesture instead. Unlike her American counterpart Ben Shelton’s straightforward ‘hang up the phone’ celebration, Gauff’s move was less direct and received mixed reactions.

During a post-match press conference, a reporter asked, “I was just wondering, Coco, if you can elaborate on that shovel celebration you just mentioned, what the origins of that is, and what that means.” Gauff explained, “It came from Denis. Honestly, I think it started, like, in my match against China. I was playing Shuai, and she was playing really great tennis. You know, he was like, great digging, keep digging. Then the shovel celebration came from him.”

Denis Kudla recently announced his retirement but has taken on a coaching role with Reilly Opelka. Despite not clinching any titles during his career, Kudla has inspired many young American tennis players. His words prompted Gauff to create a celebratory move of her own. “I just kind of took it and ran with it. That was the theme of the week for me,” she added.

Having won against Iga Swiatek in straight sets in the United Cup final, Gauff aims to maintain her momentum going into the first Grand Slam of the season. The 20-year-old recent recalled the biggest achievement of her career, her Flushing Meadows glory back in 2023.

Having emulated Serena Williams record, Coco Gauff is looking to add more Slams to her tally

The 2023 US Open champion made history by winning her first Grand Slam at just 19, emulating Serena Williams‘ accomplishment when she won the 1999 US Open at the age of 17. The official Instagram account of the Australian Open shared a reel capturing Coco Gauff‘s vibrant spirit. In the video, she expressed, “Winning a Grand Slam is the biggest shot that I dreamed of. I do wanna win a Slam as a teenager and I did that. Up there was Serena and Capriati. Every year I think I’m getting better and better. I think that confidence will bring me into the Australian Open this year.”

Gauff’s 2024 season wasn’t perfect but ended on a high. She received criticism for her serve throughout last season and she decided to shake things up by replacing Brad Gilbert with Matt Daly as her coach. This change proved effective right away, as Gauff demonstrated remarkable improvements in her performance, culminating in her victory at the 2024 WTA Tour Finals.

With recent victories over top players like World No. 2 Iga Swiatek and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at the 2024 WTA Finals, Gauff’s confidence is soaring, as she heads to Melbourne. Do you think she has what it takes to emerge victorious at the Australian Open?