Coco Gauff has soared to incredible heights in her young career, capturing the world’s attention with her extraordinary talent and determination. From her breakout moments as a teenager to becoming a household name in tennis, Gauff has proven time and again that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Her journey on the courts has been nothing short of remarkable, filled with victories that most athletes can only dream of. But even with all the success, there’s one dream that has eluded her—and surprisingly, it’s not related to tennis.

The 20-year-old engaged in an interview ahead of her campaign at the US Open. Despite her setbacks at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters, Gauff looked in cheerful spirits as she gears up to defend her title at the Flushing Meadows. Engaging in a discussion, she opened up about a childhood dream that the star player could not achieve in her life so far. 

Believe it or not, Gauff wanted to be the President of the United States in her childhood! Speaking in the interview she said that while she was focused on her tennis aspirations, the desire to be decked up as the President or the Queen of England always fascinated her. “I always thought, you know, I feel like as a super young kid, like four or five, you see the kid, I don’t know if any of you heard of like the kid president, you’re like, I want to be like him. Yeah, I’m sure there was a thought in my head at that age that I would be the next president or the Queen of England or something crazy like that.” However, her dream remained unfulfilled.

“Then you get older and you realize reality is not like that.” Gauff, meanwhile, seems to be inspired by the successful career of Kamala Harris. With the US Presidential elections once again in the picture, Gauff has yet another desire. Speaking in the interview, the reigning US Open winner wished to meet Vice President Harris and learn from her about her political career. She also expressed her desire to know about the stepping stones that emerged crucial for Harris, whose mother was an immigrant.

“What I would ask her is maybe just her story, personal story growing up and how she got to this point in her life,” she said. These stories of resilience and growth can actually benefit the star player as she gears up to defend her title at the US Open. Gauff’s relationship with the political arena is not new. 

Soon after her victory at the US Open, the American sensation was greeted by former US President Barrack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. The star player expressed her happiness back then and said she was glad to have met them and received their advice. As far as Gauff’s own professional endeavors are concerned, she is poised to achieve big at the US Open and defend her title. 

‘It was a blessing in disguise’ – Coco Gauff depicts optimism ahead of US Open run

The 20-year-old did not have a campaign she would have hoped for on the American hard courts. But while her run at the Queen City ended on a sadder note last week with a surprising defeat to Yulia Putinsteva in her first match itself, Gauff sees it as a ‘blessing in disguise.’

Speaking in the pre-tournament interview, Gauff said, “I feel like it was a blessing in disguise I lost so early, because I was able to actually train, which I hadn’t been able to.” Continuing further, she revealed the upper hand she gets after an intense training period. “I do my best results when I come off a training block. I was able to train for a good week and a half and obviously still have a couple more days to do that. The last couple of practices have gone really well.”

As the US Open approaches close, it would be interesting to see if Gauff can actually benefit from her early exits and defend her title at the Flushing Meadows.