“Serena is Serena. She’s the GOAT,” Coco Gauff once said in an interview. Almost every tennis player dreams of being the next Serena Williams! Or maybe at least come close to matching her record in the sport. However, this is no more true for Coco Gauff! At just 20 years old, she has climbed up the ladder to the No. 2 position in tennis, raising expectations among her fans, who frequently vocalize their thoughts on seeing the next Serena in Gauff. Nevertheless, the American tennis pro has her own path to follow and has different mountains to climb! Referring to that, Gauff, who has idolized Williams since childhood, has expressed her future goals before stepping onto the grass courts of Wimbledon this season.

When Coco Gauff broke the record of Serena Williams (in 1999, when she was 17) by being the youngest American woman (19) to win the U.S. Open title, many labeled her as the Serena Williams in the making. And why not? Among many other achievements, much like Williams herself, Gauff has by then already defeated Venus Williams during a Wimbledon match at just 15 years of age. However, waiving away all of it, Gauff has silenced the conversation with her candid reflection on the subject. 

Although, she once said, “being in the same stat line as her(Serena) means a lot to me,” Corie does not want to carry that same identity for herself in tennis. Instead of believing in taking the torch of Williams’ legacy forward in the game, Gauff, who lost in the first round of Wimbledon last season, wants to look up to her and draw inspiration from her like she always did as a kid. Although she is one step away from reaching the No. 1 spot in tennis, like her idol, her ambitions are quite different from just being the next Serena.

In an Exclusive interview with Daily Mail, the World No. 2, who is yet to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, said, “I want to be the best version of myself. Watching Serena I was like, There’s no-one going to be greater than her. I definitely want to at least get to double digits in Slams. I just want to be the best me, try to win as many Slams as possible, and see where life takes me.” Like many tennis fans, Gauff, who once had posters of Serena on the walls of her home, considers herself “happy to just be a product of her legacy and be out here.” On-court, they have never met each other, and this is her biggest “regret” but when it comes to winning the hearts of fans, Gauff has successfully done that, just like her idol.

Not only her, according to Coco Gauff, no one can take Williams’ mantle. Wondering why? Like many of us, Gauff also believes that the 23 Grand Slam champion is “just one of a kind.” But, wait, the respect and love are mutual! The former World No. 1 also once expressed what quality of Gauff “impressed” her the most!

The time when Serena Williams complemented Coco Gauff for capabilities

Williams, who retired in September 2022, once sang her praises for the young American talent, Gauff. Comparing her own achievement with Gauff’s, she said, “I was nowhere near her level at 15 either on the court or off the court, not even close. I was nowhere near as smart and eloquent as she is, so it’s just nice to see.”

Williams, who played 100 matches at Wimbledon and won seven titles there, further elaborated on how Coco Gauff’s incredible prowess makes her an all-rounder. “She’s just impressive all around. From her personality to the way she plays. I think it’s all just super impressive.”

Coco Gauff has never shied away from admitting that Serena Williams is one of the driving forces behind augmenting her interest in tennis. Although she admitted how she boosted Gauff’s confidence to believe that she “could dominate too,” the American is on a journey to not replicate her idol’s path. Instead, her aim remains the same, as she once said, “I’ll try my best to be the best Coco.”