A week ago, America needed a home champion at the US Open. Coco Gauff contributed her part to pen a new chapter in tennis history. The teenager holds Serena Williams and Venus Williams in high regard. Gauff has spoken about the Williams sisters’ impact on her numerous times, but little did she know she would be hailed as the heir to the legendary sisters. Winning the US Open at 19 years old is no easy feat.
Despite a first-round loss at the Wimbledon Championships, Gauff set the benchmark for greatest comebacks by winning the next Slam she played. The teenager ran to her parents soon after being crowned the US Open champion and almost forgot the traditional handshake with the umpire. The American sensation delves deeper into her relationship with her parents and how they helped her achieve the glory.
Coco Gauff minces no words while expressing gratitude to her parents
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The Flushing Meadows champion was first introduced to tennis by her father, Corey Gauff. The Williams sisters matches allowed Gauff to dream big as a little girl. From watching her idols play and cheering them from the stands like thousands of fans to being the one the Williams sisters admired, the teenager’s journey was spectacularly impressive and inspiring.
In a YouTube interview with renowned young reporter Jazzy, Gauff explained the role of her parents in her success. She said, “Yeah, so my dad is the reason why I started playing tennis. And he still gives me tips every now and then, pretty much all the time. And my mom, she kind of helped me on my journey.”
As impeccable as it may seem, success at an early stage comes with great responsibilities. Gauff had to manage tennis and studies simultaneously.
Turning a professional at just 15 years old comes with consequences, but the teen handled it all like a queen with family by her side. Due to the hectic schedule of traveling and playing juniors, the teenager could not spare time to attend regular classes at school.
But Gauff finished her schooling. World No.3 shed light on it and elaborated on how winning the Slam felt.
The US Open champion delves deep into her schooling
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The former doubles No.1 mother, Candice Gauff, was a teacher. Gauff said, “I started online school when I was nine years old. And she was an educator, she was a teacher. So she kind of helped me in school. And this whole thing is just full circle moment now being on tour, and like seeing them in my box cheering me on makes me emotional a little bit to see how far we come.”
When the season of 2023 began, Gauff was still a promising star. The win against Venus and her doubles titles with Jessica Pegula is what stood out in her career. Anyone following the teen closely would know she had a rather struggling year until she hired Brad Gilbert as her coach.
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The American has the perfect team and achieved her career-high ranking in singles. The teenager recorded her highest win percentage in just a month with back-to-back titles and a Grand Slam. Gauff just started her career, and tennis pundits are confident she is the gateway to uphold America’s glory and carry the tennis legacy forward.
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