From admiring Venus Williams as an idol to beating her as a Wimbledon wildcard, Coco Gauff learned a lot from the WTA legend. The two have also played doubles together at the French Open 2021. Both American stars share mutual respect on and off the court. Recently, Coco Gauff appeared in the Cinema session of the Australian Open, where she relived her journey to becoming one of the biggest names in the sport. The WTA star opened up about facing her idol Venus Williams as well and shared some lighthearted moments on set.

The session began with the host asking Gauff, “You said you have watched Cinema Sessions before?” Giving an honest response, Gauff said, “Yes, I’ve seen it.” When the host further asked, “Can we call you a fan of Cinema Sessions?” Gauff smiled and said, “Yeah, I like Cinema Sessions. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get asked a bit earlier on.” The light conversation set the tone for an engaging session.

The host then played a clip from Gauff’s Australian Open debut against Venus Williams. Coco Gauff then 15 years old, stunned the tennis world at Wimbledon 2019 by defeating her idol, Venus Williams, in straight sets on No. 1 Court, highlighting her emergence. She shocked her idol with a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

The 20-year-old reflected on the match, saying, “Yeah, it was crazy, because we played each other in the first round at Wimbledon. It was such a big deal that we got pulled first-round Margaret Court. I was honestly really confident this match. I felt that I could beat her more than I did at Wimbledon. I don’t know if it was just because I did it before, but yeah, I think everybody mentions the Wimbledon one, but this was the one I think that was even more important because I just had to fight to get through it. And I think she was coming in with the mission too.”

Six months later, Gauff faced Venus again at the 2020 Australian Open and repeated her success, defeating the 39-year-old with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory to advance to the second round. Reflecting on that match, Gauff admitted she was nervous but determined, “I was really nervous for today’s match, I was a bit shocked—I’m sure everyone was—when they saw the draw, but I’m glad I was able to get through it.”

The conversation shifted to her third-round match against Naomi Osaka. Gauff described her mindset for that match, commenting, “For some reason, I just went on the court, and I was like, I’m not going to lose that match today. And I remember just trying to serve super hard this match and just be pretty aggressive because I fell at just hoping, and she just out-hit me, so I was trying to do the opposite of that.”

Adding some fun to the session, the host played a dance practice video featuring the American star. Laughing at that, Coco said, “Oh my God, Serena made all of us learn this dance. I thought she was joking when she said we all had to do it. Yeah, I still can’t believe I did it. And they showed it on the screen at one of the tournaments. So yeah, that’s a major throwback.”

Reflecting on her overall journey, the WTA star spoke about her current approach to the game. “The goal and belief is to win,” she said. “But I expect that, I think it’s just unnecessary pressure. So I just try to expect to compete my hardest and expect to play the way that I practice. And if I win, it’s great. I’m excited. And if I lose, it’s not so much of a—it’s going to be disappointing, but maybe not so much of a disappointment.”

Gauff’s charm and honesty shone throughout the cinema session, showcasing her growth on and off the court.

Coco Gauff surpasses her idol in Grand Slam wins before turning 21

Coco Gauff, 20, has officially surpassed Venus Williams’ record for the most no. of singles matches won by a player in a Grand Slam by the age of 21. Gauff achieved her 63rd Major win after defeating Leylah Fernandez in the third round of the 2025 Australian Open. The 20-year-old now holds one more Grand Slam singles victory than Williams. Eurosport highlighted this milestone with an infographic on their official X handle, captioned: “Venus Williams Grand Slam match wins at 21 years old: 62. Coco Gauff Grand Slam match wins before turning 21 years old: 63. Gauff breaking the records of her idol #AusOpen.”

While the comparison sparked excitement, it also drew criticism from tennis fans. A couple of fans remarked, “Venus Williams at 21 would crush Coco Gauff at 21,” while others commented, “Didn’t Venus have 4 majors and an Olympic gold medal by 21 and not 1?”

Despite such comparisons from the fans, the two WTA stars have always shared mutual respect. Coco Gauff has always admired Venus and Serena Williams, often calling them her inspirations. Earlier, a fan shared an image online of a young Gauff cheering for Venus during her match against Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The nostalgic moment thrilled Gauff, who posted the image on X with the caption, “If this isn’t proof that your dreams are closer than you think then idk what is.” She also thanked the fan for the heartwarming photo of her journey.

Meanwhile, Venus, while promoting her book Strive: 8 Steps to Find Your Awesome on the Tamron Hall Show, was shown Gauff’s tweet. She expressed her joy at Gauff’s rise to stardom. “She is fantastic, and of course, I hope she wins every match,” Venus said while a photo of the two partners at the 2021 French Open was displayed.

Venus also emphasized the importance of dreaming big and dealing with life’s challenges, saying, “Doesn’t mean that there won’t be turns all the way… as long as you have your north star.” Her words served as praise for Cocof’s remarkable journey. Do you think Coco Gauff will go on and win many more Major titles like the Williams sisters? Share your thoughts in the comments below.