Coco Gauff Is Finding US Open Inspiration From Beyonce, Justin Bieber; Proves Terrible Music Can Still Serve A Purpose

Canadian popstar Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey — the daughter of one of the lesser Baldwins (so not Alec, but Billy or Stephen or Harpo or whatever their names are) — were on hand to watch Coco Gauff compete at the US Open on Friday night.

That's not a huge surprise. The 19-year-old is one of the sports rising stars, and as such, the stars of stage and screen — and whatever it is Hailey Bieber does — descended upon the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, like Kardashians to an NBA game.

You'd think that having the likes of the Biebers and actress/woman who once made Tom Cruise jump on a couch, Katie Holmes on hand, would make a youngster like Gauff nervous. Especially during a third-round match at the US Open, an already pressure-packed environment without celebrities in the crowd trying to get picked up by TV cameras.

But that's not the case. Gauff is built differently and said the eyes of Bieber fueled her.

"I definitely saw who was there," Gauff told ESPN after the match. "I thought, 'I cannot lose in front of Justin Bieber.' I didn't lose a game after I saw that."

If I was one of Gauff's opponents — which, for the sake of clarity, I'm not — I'd be sharing in my New Balances reading that quote.

Coco Gauff serves to Elise Mertens of Belgium while somewhere in the stadium Justin Bieber looks on. (Photo by Lev Radin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Coco Gauff Is One Cool Customer

Gauff is unflappable. She's at the right age where Justin Bieber a still a big deal. Not a joke like he is to the rest of us. Instead of getting psyched out by that, it helped her play better.

What's even more startling for would-be opponents is that Gauff doesn't even need a celebrity to be in the building to help her snuff them out.

After that same match that the Biebers attended, Gauff talked about how she thought about Beyonce (Knowles-Carter) to help her get through the match.

"When I'm playing tennis, I think about a lot of things outside of tennis," Gauff said, per the Daily Mail.

"I was thinking about the Renaissance Tour during my match. I think of a lot of different things and honesty it keeps me relaxed."

The Renaissance Tour — for those of you pretending not to know — is Beyonce's stadium tour currently trekking around the nation.

These two quotes from Gauff made me realize something: no athlete has harnessed the power of crappy music the way Gauff has since Shaq put out a rap album.

She has somehow harnessed the raw, unbridled mediocrity radiating from the likes of Bieber and Beyonce. Then, she went a step further and transmogrified it into athletic prowess.

That's not easy to do. I've been listening to nothing but Taylor Swift, Nickleback, and the complete works of Neil Sedaka and I still can't dunk. Hell, I can't even touch the rim (unless you lower it).

Perhaps Gauff will continue to harness the awesome power of crappy music when she faces Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday in the Round of 16.

She should. It seems to be working.

At this rate, nothing can stop her. Not even the skunky pot smoke lingering around Court 17.

Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle