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Coco Gauff’s unlikely friendship with Warriors star Jimmy Butler turned around her tennis career after stunning defeat
When Coco Gauff needed a helping hand, an unlikely NBA star appeared. Gauff has had a poor start to 2025 but has bounced back to enjoy her best tennis during the clay swing. The last time she had a bit of a slump, a surprise friendship sparked a turnaround in form. Coco Gauff has already put her 2023 Wimbledon disappointment in the pastGETTY After losing in the quarterfinals to Padula Badosa at the Australian Open in January, Gauff lost back-to-back first-round matches at the Qatar Open and Dubai Championships. The sunshine double saw a slight improvement, but she wasn’t able to get past the third round at Indian Wells and the Miami Open. Now, in another quarterfinal, after reaching the same feat in Stuttgart and making the Madrid Open final, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff is getting back to her best. When the World No.3 was in a slump back in 2023, it was Jimmy Butler who gave the 21-year-old much-needed perspective. Few NBA fans knew that Butler was a serious tennis lover. After a poor 2023 Wimbledon, in which Gauff lost to Sofia Kenin in the first round, Butler spent time at the next Grand Slam, the U.S. Open, with the tennis star and connected with her. “He has that mentality really of, you know, no matter what the odds are against him, he’s gonna give it his all,” Gauff said at the time. “I think he’s just one of those athletes [where] the mentality makes his game even better. You have people that are talented and don’t have the mentality. I think he has the talent and the mentality. It’s just taking him even further. “Between Wimbledon and the next tournament I played, nothing could have really changed that much. It was really just the mental thing. I think that’s what I learned from watching Jimmy compete over the years.” After Butler championed Gauff, she shook off her Wimbledon first-round stunner to triumph at the US Open and win her first major. GettyJimmy Butler is a man of many talents[/caption] Justin Bieber and Butler watched the same tennis matchGETTY “I have been focusing more on myself and my expectations of myself,” Gauff said. “I really believe that now I have the maturity and ability to do it.†Butler has diverse interests, including dominoes, coffee and country music. But he’s also a six-time All-Star who carried the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals and has made five All-Defensive teams. Despite not being drafted until the end of the first round in 2011, 35-year-old Butler has become one of the NBA’s most respected players. Gauff was also inspired by his dedication and focus, which included overcoming homelessness. “I just love the competition aspect of (tennis),” Butler said. “It’s like 1-on-1 competition at its finest. I have a lot of friends that I’m fans of. GettyJimmy Butler is known to be a big tennis fan[/caption] “(Coco) is so emotional in a good way. She’s a champion and I love that she’s from the city that I work in. “I just love to … support her, so I want her to win every single time.” Fast forward to 2025, Gauff is a ten-time title winner and gone from strength to strength. She is currently in the quarterfinals at Rome, where she will face teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva.
When Coco Gauff needed a helping hand, an unlikely NBA star appeared.
Gauff has had a poor start to 2025 but has bounced back to enjoy her best tennis during the clay swing. The last time she had a bit of a slump, a surprise friendship sparked a turnaround in form.
After losing in the quarterfinals to Padula Badosa at the Australian Open in January, Gauff lost back-to-back first-round matches at the Qatar Open and Dubai Championships.
The sunshine double saw a slight improvement, but she wasn’t able to get past the third round at Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Now, in another quarterfinal, after reaching the same feat in Stuttgart and making the Madrid Open final, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff is getting back to her best.
When the World No.3 was in a slump back in 2023, it was Jimmy Butler who gave the 21-year-old much-needed perspective.
Few NBA fans knew that Butler was a serious tennis lover.
After a poor 2023 Wimbledon, in which Gauff lost to Sofia Kenin in the first round, Butler spent time at the next Grand Slam, the U.S. Open, with the tennis star and connected with her.
“He has that mentality really of, you know, no matter what the odds are against him, he’s gonna give it his all,” Gauff said at the time.
“I think he’s just one of those athletes [where] the mentality makes his game even better. You have people that are talented and don’t have the mentality. I think he has the talent and the mentality. It’s just taking him even further.
“Between Wimbledon and the next tournament I played, nothing could have really changed that much. It was really just the mental thing. I think that’s what I learned from watching Jimmy compete over the years.”
After Butler championed Gauff, she shook off her Wimbledon first-round stunner to triumph at the US Open and win her first major.
“I have been focusing more on myself and my expectations of myself,” Gauff said. “I really believe that now I have the maturity and ability to do it.â€
Butler has diverse interests, including dominoes, coffee and country music.
But he’s also a six-time All-Star who carried the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals and has made five All-Defensive teams.
Despite not being drafted until the end of the first round in 2011, 35-year-old Butler has become one of the NBA’s most respected players.
Gauff was also inspired by his dedication and focus, which included overcoming homelessness.
“I just love the competition aspect of (tennis),” Butler said. “It’s like 1-on-1 competition at its finest. I have a lot of friends that I’m fans of.
“(Coco) is so emotional in a good way. She’s a champion and I love that she’s from the city that I work in.
“I just love to … support her, so I want her to win every single time.”
Fast forward to 2025, Gauff is a ten-time title winner and gone from strength to strength.
She is currently in the quarterfinals at Rome, where she will face teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva.
