The tennis arena has long been graced by the presence of legends. For close to two decades, Serena Williams stood as an unwavering force, clinching an awe-inspiring 23 Grand Slam titles. Her departure from the spotlight left an undeniable void. However, the turn of the tide has churned out a new crop. From the shadows has emerged a fresh star – one who is redefining the game in her own right, Coco Gauff.
At merely 19 years of age, Gauff is proving to be a formidable contender. Naturally, the tennis world has awakened from its lull. In the latest of the lot is Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, who recently touched upon an interesting notion.
Serena’s former coach reflects on the remarkable journey of Coco Gauff
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Serena Williams left a huge legacy – and a void in her wake. Her incredible career wins set a record that seemed impossible to beat. When she retired, people expected interest to fade. In the wings awaited Coco Gauff with her comeback after a long spell with broken form. Now, Gauff’s is showing that she is a force to be reckoned with and Macci, once the mentor to the Queen of the Court, has found himself captivated by Gauff’s undeniable impact.
There are 19 reasons I love @CocoGauff unlimited explosive potential as she has the cake and will keep adding more icing with sprinkles and on March 13th there will 20 reasons the cake will taste even better.
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) August 20, 2023
Macci tweeted his pride in his own quirky way: “There are 19 reasons I love @CocoGauff unlimited explosive potential as she has the cake and will keep adding more icing with sprinkles and on March 13th there will 20 reasons the cake will taste even better.”
But Macci’s interest in the young American teen sensation is nothing new. Apart from keenly following her career moves, Macci and Gauff’s father have long been in touch over her career. In fact, Coco recently revealed an interesting conversation that they had.
Coco Gauff’s potential coaching prospects
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Before Citi Open in Washington, Rick Macci approached Corey Gauff, Coco Gauff’s father, for an opportunity to be a part of her coaching team. When asked about it, Gauff mentioned, “Yeah, that was one of the options to do that after the season is over. Obviously it’s far from now, so I can’t really confirm. But, yeah, I believe, based off what you told me, everything is true.”
Macci’s admiration stems from the similarities he perceives between Gauff’s trajectory and the iconic Serena Williams. The whispers of the collaboration right before the tournament reverberated through the tennis sphere. However, the potential partnership, though exciting, eventually did not work out.
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Gauff later announced a collaboration with Pere Riba and Brad Gilbert. In retrospect, the decision worked out great for Gauff, as she won Citi Open and now has reached the finals at Cincinnati. With unwavering determination, Gauff has begun to display flashes of a strong resolve reminiscent of her tennis idols. As she gets ready to take on French Open runner-up Karolina Muchova, the echoes of Serena Williams’ legacy resonate in Gauff’s ascent.
WATCH THIS STORY: ‘I Go With Whatever Serena Says’ – American Tennis Star Coco Gauff Not Sure About Serena Williams’ Retirement