Sir Andy Murray has called for tennis Grand Slams to `do better` after Coco Gauff highlighted just how much smaller the French Open trophy she actually gets to keep is.
Gauff, 21, secured the Roland-Garros title on Saturday, triumphing over Aryna Sabalenka with a score of 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in Paris. This victory made her the first American woman to win the tournament in ten years, since Serena Williams.
The world number two celebrated her tenth career title passionately in front of the French crowd, posing with the prestigious trophy. However, she later revealed that this large trophy is not the one she gets to take home.
From her private jet, the tennis star posted a video showing the actual trophy she received, emphasizing its much smaller size.
Speaking on TikTok while referencing a picture of her with the larger replica, Gauff explained: “This is the trophy that you guys see, the one that we take pictures with, do press with and all that. But, actually, we don’t get to take this home. This stays with the tournament.”
She then presented the significantly smaller trophy, adding: “This is the one we take home. It’s like a mini replica of the trophy. It’s… really small.”
The Florida native surprised viewers further by placing the trophy next to a tiny Perrier bottle, illustrating that the trophy was only marginally bigger than the bottle.
Gauff concluded her video saying: “That’s how small it is. But, you know, it’s the memories that matter the most.”
This situation caught the attention of 38-year-old Murray, who responded on social media.
The former world number one shared a clip of late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon praising Gauff. Murray added his own comment: “Surely the tennis majors can do a better job with the replica trophies!? They are tiny.”
The British tennis icon is familiar with Grand Slam trophies, having claimed the French Open title himself in 2016.
