“Your emotions are heightened when you’re playing matches,” Coco Gauff told Vogue’s Corey Seymour days before winning her first Grand Slam of the impact intensive training creates. And last night, the actual moment she became the third American teen ever to win the US Open, Gauff lay down on the court as the tears began to flow. The raw passion created a ripple effect for the entire audience.

“I’m gonna cry” could be heard within the Arthur Ashe Stadium Grey Goose suite as Quinta Brunson captured the moment live surrounded by stars who’d spent the entire game on edge. The supernatural performance seen on both sides of the net generated a stress rollercoaster that no amount of Honey Deuces could have halted. Observing the scene throughout the match, cutting the tension also meant celebrating the moment. Evan Mock was snapping photos with sliders while Yvonne Orji, Danai Gurira, and Ty Watts were singing Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody between 118 mile-per-hour serves. All before shedding tears of joy.

Crying is good for your health, according to Harvard Medical School, which credits the unique human “phenomenon” as a natural response not only to pain but extreme happiness. It’s a stress release that serves a purpose, from increasing empathy to boosting feel-good brain chemicals and potentially strengthening the immune system. Mindy Kaling, following the action next to Ariana DeBose and Cara Delevingne, admitted that when witnessing the championship win she “wept like she was my own daughter. Pretty weird of me.” But it wasn’t weird at all, actually. I, too, cried my makeup off after instinctively clutching Diane Keaton’s hand—her short black nails had been gripping the barrier between us like an armrest during flight turbulence.

The 50-year anniversary of legendary player Billy Jean King’s success in fighting to make the US Open the first American sport to offer women equal prize money only fueled the feeling. And for Gauff, it was a historic moment on multiple levels. “Today is the first time I’ve ever seen my dad cry,” she said after requesting to hold the mic when asked what message she had for her family. “My dad took me to this tournament, sitting right there watching Venus and Serena compete,” Guaff continued, acknowledging years of work and preparation behind a 2-hour final. “So it’s really incredible to be on this stage.”