Last year, Serena Williams left a huge void in American tennis. The 23-time Grand Slam champion called an end to her illustrious career, as she retired after 25 glorious years of service to the sport. However, the rise of American tennis sensation, Coco Gauff, has barely allowed fans to feel that void. She has carried the baton from Serena, producing scintillating performances on the court. But recently, Gauff also revealed why she might not be able to match the greatness of Serena and her sister, Venus.

The 19-year-old has grown up watching the trailblazing Williams sisters. She has idolized the iconic duo and looks to emulate them on and off the court. Despite this, Gauff has made a surprising statement.

Coco Gauff makes a candid confession

Recently, the reigning US Open champion and World No. 3 player was involved in an interview with ‘Jazzy’s World TV’ where she talked about inspiring the next generation of players, her family, and Serena Williams. During the interview, one particular segment raised eyebrows of tennis fans.

Talking about Venus and Serena Williams, Gauff said, “A lot of times, being an athlete, people make it seem like you can’t speak out on things that you care about. But seeing them do what they do and lead in such an egregious way made me want to do the same thing. And I mean, I’m probably never gonna touch the scale that they did.”

DIVE DEEPER: 19-Year-Old Coco Gauff’s US Open Triumph Fuels Pride in American Legend Chris Evert as She Takes a Sneaky Dig at Struggling Emma Raducanu

Further, Gauff went on to relish the opportunity of spending quality time with her role models. While she got to play doubles with Venus and also singles matches against her, she never faced Serena in her career. But recently, Gauff achieved a big feat in her career, for which she received a message from the American legend, Serena.

Gauff reacts to Serena’s congratulatory message

Last week, the American sensation defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash of the US Open to clinch her maiden Grand Slam title. Subsequently, Serena shared a story on Instagram about Gauff, congratulating her by saying, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. Amazing!!!!!!!!”. Gauff was overwhelmed by the message, and her joy knew no bounds. She re-shared the story and stated, “The queen, thank you.”

After winning the US Open title, Gauff rose to the top three in the WTA rankings chart. She’ll look to continue her winning momentum as she aims to finish her season on a high – and hopefully carry it forward into the next year!

WATCH THIS STORY: Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer