Coco Gauff says Justin Bieber inspired her comeback victory at the US Open

Hailey and Justin Bieber cheered on Coco Gauff at the US Open. Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images CNN  — 

Coco Gauff says she drew inspiration from Justin Bieber during her third-round comeback victory at the US Open on Friday, rallying after she saw the singer in the crowd on the big screen.

“I definitely saw who was there,” the 19-year-old said on the ESPN broadcast after the match. “I thought, ‘I cannot lose in front of Justin Bieber.’ I didn’t lose a game after I saw that.”

After dropping the opening set, Gauff regrouped and eventually secured a 3-6 6-3 6-0 win against Belgium’s Elise Mertens to reach the fourth round of the tournament.