Michelle Obama consoles Coco Gauff with sweet message after heartbreaking US Open SF loss vs Elena Rybakina
Former US First Lady Michelle Obama had some words of encouragement for Coco Gauff after her agonizing defeat to Elena Rybakina in the semifinals of the US Open 2026. The women’s singles semifinals took centrestage in New York on Thursday, September 10.
Plenty of high-profile names were in attendance to watch the two semifinal contests, including Obama. Aryna Sabalenka kicked off the proceedings with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Jessica Pegula. Gauff thus became the last American woman left standing in the draw following Pegula’s loss.
Gauff and Rybakina crossed paths a few weeks ago in the semifinals of the Canadian Open. Rybakina rallied from a set down to triumph on that occasion. Gauff was in the zone right from the start and captured the first set of their US Open showdown.
Rybakina raised her level from that point on, although Gauff had her chances. The American rallied from 4-1 down in the second set to make it 4-4 but lost the next couple of games, as well as the set. She even stopped Rybakina from serving out the match in the ninth game of the third set but got broken herself in the very next game to lose the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Gauff‘s loss meant that an American woman failed to reach at least one Major final in a season for the first time since 2006. Obama was cheering for Gauff until the very end and saw firsthand how disappointed she was with the outcome. She posted a sweet message for Gauff on X (formerly Twitter) after that match was over. She stated how proud she was of the 22-year-old, and reiterated her support for American tennis.
The US Open was Gauff’s final shot at Grand Slam glory in 2026. She made the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, went out in the third round of the French Open as the defending champion, and lost in the semifinals at Wimbledon. While the loss to Rybakina will sting for a while, the last few weeks were quite remarkable for her.
Gauff made the semifinals of the Canadian Open, and followed it up with a title at the Cincinnati Open. Her loss to Rybakina snapped her 11-match winning streak. She will now aim to sustain this form for the remainder of the season.
