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Coco Gauff playfully poked fun at the windy weather conditions in Cancun during a practice session at the 2023 WTA Finals.
On Saturday, November 4, Gauff locked horns with her doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, in the semifinals of the year-end championships. Pegula claimed a dominant 6-2, 6-1 win over the 19-year-old to advance to the biggest final of her career.
Despite the one-sided scoreline, the clash was far from being straightforward due to the adverse weather conditions in Cancun. The match's start was delayed by an hour due to stormy weather, and the second set saw two rain delays. Furthermore, the strong winds impacted the level of play.
Coco Gauff later took to social media and shared a glimpse of the windy conditions in Cancun. During a practice session, a member of the American's team attempted to launch a ball out of the court, but the wind caused it to fall back down onto the court.
Gauff expressed her disbelief at the ball's trajectory while sharing a laugh with her team.
"How is that possible," she said.
The teen shared a clip of the incident on social media.
"How windy it is here 😂 ball that is supposed to go out the fence," she posted on her Instagram story.
Coco Gauff had a comical encounter with the stormy weather during her clash against Pegula as well. During a rain delay in the second set, the American took shelter under an umbrella. However, her respite was short-lived as the strong winds turned the umbrella inside out.
Coco Gauff after WTA Finals SF defeat: "Jessica Pegula was playing well with the wind and I wasn't"
Following her defeat, Coco Gauff admitted that Jessica Pegula was much more adept at handling the windy conditions in Cancun. However, the reigning US Open champion refrained from blaming the weather for her loss, acknowleging that Pegula was had to contend with the same conditions.
"She was playing well with the wind, and I wasn't. So, yeah, that's pretty much it. At the end of the day, she was the more experienced player when it came to these circumstances. So I'm not going to blame the weather or anything. We were in the same boat," she said (via ESPN).
Pegula will lock horns with Iga Swiatek in the title clash at the WTA Finals. The Pole secured a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Aryna Sabalenka to book her place in the final.
Swiatek leads 5-3 in her head-to-head against the American. However, it was Pegula who emerged victorious in their most recent encounter in the 2023 Canadian Open semifinals, winning 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4.
