Coco Gauff and Leylah Fernandez have made names for themselves in the tennis world as both have made the finals of a Grand Slam Tournament in the last two years. And after both had disappointing showings at Wimbledon this month, they decided to have some fun in Atlanta when they faced each other in an exhibition match at the Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station on Sunday. PopCulture.com was on hand to see the match which was titled the Sunday Showdown, and Gauff won the match 6-3, 6-3. But the match was about treating fans to a competitive match to kick off the men’s tournament which is part of the USTA’s US Open series which leads up the US Open.
Gauff, 19, and Fernandez, 20, took the match seriously but had some fun as they tried some trick shots and talked to the fans in attendance. Gauff even danced for the crowd during breaks, and with her being born in Atlanta, it was clear she was happy to be competing in a place she called home at one point in her life.
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“They made me the person who I am a hundred percent,” Gauff told reporters after the match. “Moving from Atlanta to South Florida was a big change. I love the culture here, the city, and being a Black woman in tennis, having the support from all the people in Atlanta means a lot to me. Truly.”
Fernandez, who has won two tournaments in her career, enjoyed playing against Gauff despite falling short in the match. “It’s an exhibition,” she said. “I had a lot of fun playing Coco and especially in front of an amazing crowd. I think there’s some fun moments. There’s some definitely good points, and I think there’s some shots that we tried and missed, but I think it was a good atmosphere altogether.”
Gauff is currently ranked No. 7 in the world in singles competition and reached the finals of the French Open last year. She also made the quarterfinals of the US Open last year and has made the fourth round of the Australian Open and Wimbledon on two different occasions. Gauff has won three singles titles in her career and is also one of the top doubles players in the world with a No. 4 ranking and eight titles.
Fernandez reached the finals of the US Open in 2021 and the quarterfinals of the French Open last year. In this year’s French Open, Fernandez reached the finals in doubles competition with Taylor Townsend. In doubles rankings, Fernandez is ranked No. 21. Her highest ranking in singles play is No. 13 which was in August 2022.
