Stuttgart Open 2024: Zendaya-inspired Coco Gauff through to quarter-finals

Coco Gauff is seemingly playing with an extra skip in her step at the Stuttgart Open, after actress Zendaya said that she wanted to meet the US Open champion.

The Hollywood star made the revelation while promoting her new film "Challengers," in which she acts the part of a tennis player.

Gauff proudly shared the moment on social media, commenting “SCREAMING IN MY BED RN ILY TOO.”

Fortunately, the former women's world number one was able to keep her composure against Sachia Vickery in a tense Round-of-16 on Wednesday (17 April).

Florida native Gauff raced to a first set lead, before her American compatriot levelled the match.

Vickery was on the brink of victory in the deciding set, but Gauff showed all of her experience and mental fortitude to come-from-behind to win 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 and book a spot in the quarter-finals.

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Zendaya and Gauff have been fans of each other for some time, with the Dune 2 star sending the tennis player a bouquet of flowers that weighed over 22kg after last year's US Open victory.

The pair also share a tennis coach in Brad Gilbert, who both mentors Gauff and worked with Zendaya throughout her latest movie, so a meeting may well be on the cards soon.

But Gauff's focus for now will be fully on her quarter-final in Germany where the No. 3 seed will take on the winner of People's Republic of China player Zheng Qinwen and Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk on Friday (19 April).