Unlike team sports like football, in which players practice as a group, mob the field after a victory, and have pep talks after a loss, tennis is more of a solo endeavor: Players often prepare for and process their matches in solitude. Sure, most of them have coaches, trainers, and family members who pop in, but round-the-clock camaraderie isn’t a given, especially on the road.
So how do they find companionship when they’re competing? For many athletes, the answer is adorable: They rely on the unconditional love of their dogs. (Some have even registered them as emotional support animals to circumvent certain tournaments’ anti-pet policies.)
Not only are tennis pups unofficial mascots (that look darn cute in the stands), but they can act as real pillars of support for players in their lowest moments. That’s certainly the case for the 2024 US Open competitors below, who told SELF just how important their furry friends are to their mental game.
Bianca Andreescu’s toy poodle, Coco, provides “such joy and happiness.”
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
“Coco definitely brings a different energy when I’m with her and when I see her, whether I lose a match or win a match, but mainly when I lose a match,” Andreescu, who won the US Open in 2019, tells SELF. “When I look at her, I just smile and I kind of forget about the loss in a way. I wish that feeling could stay for longer, but every time I’m in her presence, she just brings me such joy and happiness.”
Coco even got her own credential tag at the US Open this year, which she showed off on TikTok, and lounged in the stands while her mom played. The precious, curly-haired pup also accompanied Andreescu when she represented Canada at the Paris Olympics this summer—it helps that she fits neatly in a tote bag. “I’m grateful that she’s able to celebrate with me,” Andreescu told reporters at the time.
Danielle Collins’s pup, Quincy, has a “magical healing power.”
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
“Quincy helps me on and off the court by providing me unconditional love and support at all times,” Collins tells SELF. “I feel like animals have a magical healing power and bring so much joy to our lives, and I don’t know what my life would be like without pets.” She also loves that Quincy helps break the ice with the new people she meets in her travels. “He makes friends, and we can go places and talk with people that maybe we would never, you know, meet otherwise,” she said. “He’s a social butterfly, so he makes me come out of my shell a little bit more.”
In Collins’s Instagram bio, a puppy emoji ranks first over a tennis ball, and she refers to herself as “Quincy’s mom and butler.” Clearly a proud paw-rent, she even gave him a special shoutout after winning the Charleston Open in April in which she called him “the love of [her] life,” and also named him the MVP of the Miami Open (which she also won) for being “very handsome, very sophisticated, smart, loving, [and] charismatic,” she wrote in the Instagram caption above. “Quincy, I don’t know what I would do without you. I love you sir!!”
Naomi Osaka’s Frenchie, Butta, is an integral part of her support system.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
In her 2022 cover story, Osaka told SELF that her French bulldog, Butta, is a great joy and support in her life, on and off the court. It helps that he’s an expert snuggler: “He’s a big source of comfort for me. Whenever you pick him up, he just becomes a big baby,” she said. “He’s really good at cuddling. I really love that about him."
SELF didn’t get the chance to speak with her, but Chinese player Wang Xinyu is another proud US Open pet mom. And while not every tennis-pro pup parent was able to bring their dog to the tournament this year—despite trying his best to hop in her suitcase, Australian player Daria Saville’s beloved dachshund, Tofu, had to sit this one out—plenty have gushed about their four-legged buddies online. And by the looks of these cute companions, it’s safe to say that the relationships are mutually beneficial.
Get more of SELF's great sports coverage delivered right to your inbox—for free.
Related:
