US Open contender Coco Gauff's mental fortitude has helped her become one of the best female tennis players in the world. It turned out Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has a lot to do with that.

Coco Gauff lives in South Florida. She has been following Butler and the Heat closely since they made two NBA Finals appearances in the past four years.

It hasn't been smooth sailing for Gauff in recent months. She lost to her compatriot Sofia Kenin in the first round of Wimbledon early last month. Kenin prevailed in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Many tennis experts thought Gauff, who was a finalist in the 2022 French Open, would go the distance.

Enter Jimmy Butler.

The Heat star's timely intervention has helped Gauff bounce back with a vengeance per the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy.

“That switch I had in the last couple weeks – people think some incredible thing happened. But realistically, the two weeks between Wimbledon and the next tournament I played, nothing could have really changed that much. It was really just the mental thing. I think that's what I learned from watching Jimmy compete over the years,” Gauff said.

Butler's advice helped Gauff beat Karolina Muchova in the 2023 Cincinnati Open final on August 21. Gauff is now through to the third round of the 2023 US Open final after beating Mirra Andreeva in just 76 minutes on Wednesday.

Jimmy Butler knows his stuff. It seems he's no slouch in tennis after he hilariously earned a point against top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz one week ago.

For her part, will Coco Gauff become the first American female to win the US Open since Sloane Stephens in 2017? Stay tuned.