Coco Gauff’s TikTok sparks Andy Murray comment as he calls on tennis chiefs to take action

Coco Gauff’s ‘mini’ French Open trophy went viral in a TikTok video after the American’s victory in Paris, and Andy Murray has now joined the criticism of the smaller replica handed out to champions

British tennis icon Andy Murray has slammed the French Open and other major tournaments for giving their winners ‘tiny’ replica trophies, after Coco Gauff’s miniature Coupe Suzanne Lenglen became a social media sensation.

The French Open has a policy that prevents champions from taking the actual trophy home, instead providing them with a significantly smaller version as a keepsake.

Gauff brought this fact to light in a TikTok video after her triumph over Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros, leaving fans shocked by the diminutive size of the replica.

With three Grand Slam titles under his belt, Murray was taken aback and took to Instagram to urge the competitions to step up their game regarding the replicas.

“Surely the tennis majors can do a better job with the replica trophies?! They are tiny,” he commented, adding a laughing emoji for good measure.

This all came to the fore when Gauff humorously compared the replica to a water bottle to emphasize its small stature on social media.

In her TikTok clip, the 21-year-old showcased the real Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, explaining: “This is the trophy that you guys saw me take pictures with and do press with and all of that.

“But actually, we don’t get to take that home. It stays with the tournament. I’m going to show you guys the one we take home. It’s a lot smaller. It’s a mini replica.”

Placing the replica beside a water bottle, Gauff joked: “To compare it, it’s really small. That’s how small it is. It’s the memories that matter most. It’s very pretty.”

Gauff clinched her second Grand Slam title by defeating Sabalenka in the final as a slight underdog. However, Sabalenka later claimed that Gauff’s victory was due to her own mistakes, reports the Express.

“It was honestly the worst tennis I’ve played in I don’t know how many months,” Sabalenka admitted. “Conditions were terrible, and she simply was better in these conditions than me.

“I think I was overemotional and I didn’t really handle myself well. I think she won the match not because she played incredible, just because I made all of those mistakes from, if you look from the outside, easy balls.

“I cannot go out there every time against her in the finals of the Grand Slam and play such terrible tennis. It felt like a joke, honestly, like somebody from above was just there laughing, saying: ‘Let’s see if you can handle this.’

“Honestly, sometimes it felt like she was hitting the ball from the frame. Somehow magically the ball lands in the court, and you are kind of on the back foot.”

When asked to respond to those remarks, Gauff said: “I was a little bit surprised about the comments and everything, but I’m gonna give her the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure it was an emotional day, emotional match.”