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Coco Gauff recently photobombed fellow American Clervie Ngounoue's photo shoot at the 2024 Indian Wells.
Ngounoue, 17, is an up-and-coming American tennis player who won the 2023 Wimbledon junior title. She made her first main draw appearance at a Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open, where she lost to Daria Saville in the first round. She also made it to the third round in doubles at the same event.
At the 2024 Indian Wells Master, Ngounoue won the first-round match in the qualification against Alize Cornet, but lost to compatriot Taylor Townsend in the second round.
At a recent photo shoot, Ngounoue was interrupted by Gauff, who started to pose in front of the 17-year-old. The World No. 3 then went to give the young tennis player a hug.
Gauff reshared a video of the interaction on her Instagram story, along with the caption:
"Love herrr."
This isn't the first time Gauff has shared her adoration for Ngounoue. The US Open champion congratulated the 17-year-old when she won the 2023 Wimbledon junior title.
"Yess @clervie_magloire," Gauff wrote along with heart emojis.
Coco Gauff to play the 2024 Indian Wells Master
Coco Gauff will start her bid for her second WTA 1000 title at the 2024 Indian Wells against Frenchwoman Clara Burel in the second round. The American was given a bye in the first round as she is seeded third.
Her potential opponent in the third round could be Lucia Bronzetti or Anhelina Kalinina. She could also face Naomi Osaka in the fourth round.
In the quarterfinals, she could face Zheng Qinwen, Victoria Azarenka, or Daria Kasatkina. Her semi-final opponent, should she make it there, could be Aryna Sabalenka.
Her potential final opponent could be Iga Switaek or Elena Rybakina.
The American’s best performance at this tournament came last year when she reached the quarterfinals. She lost to eventual runner-up Aryna Sabalenka.
The American is coming into the tournament after a good start to the season. She won the ASB Classic title, defeating Elina Svitolina. At the Australian Open, she reached the semi-final, where she lost to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka.
At the Qatar Open, she suffered a shock defeat against Katerina Siniakova in the first round. However, she redeemed herself at the Dubai Tennis Championships by reaching the quarterfinals, where she lost to Anna Kalinskaya.
Gauff has begun her preparation for the third WTA 1000 event of the season. She uploaded images and a video from her training sessions on her social media.
