It’s no secret that Coco Gauff has always looked up to Venus and Serena Williams. At the age of six, she watched Serena dominate the Australian Open. Gauff asked her father what “GOAT” meant, sparking her ambition to achieve greatness. Her family even emulated Williams sisters’ father, Richard Williams’ coaching methods, with her parents leaving their jobs to support her full-time. Later, when Gauff triumphed at the US Open at 19, becoming the first American teen to win since Serena in 1999, she declared, “They’re the reason why I have this trophy today.” She started tennis as a fan, and that passion continues to this day.

On Wednesday, Coco sat down with Los Gonzalez de Tour for a quick chat. During a lighthearted Q&A session, she was asked about her hair, any pets, and even her favorite movies. Amongst these dropped an interesting question: Who is the world No.4’s favorite athlete?

It was a no-brainer that she said, “Definitely Serena Williams. I look up to her. She’s why I play tennis, and she’s awesome.” But what makes Coco look up to Serena?

The answer lies in Serena’s monumental impact that transcends mere statistics. Gauff herself has eloquently stated, “Serena Williams has always been my idol… and Venus. They are the reason why I wanted to pick up a tennis racket.” This wasn’t just about on-court success.

For a young African-American girl seeing Serena, a woman who looked like her, conquer a historically white-dominated sport was profoundly empowering. As Gauff once reflected, “Before Serena came along, there was not really an icon of the sport that looked like me. So growing up, I never thought that I was different because the No. 1 player in the world was somebody who looked like me.”

Serena Williams‘ legacy is built upon a foundation of unparalleled achievements: 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in the Open Era, and a staggering 73 WTA singles titles. Beyond the numbers, it’s the way she achieved them – with a fierce, unwavering competitive spirit that Gauff openly admires. “She is just so competitive on the court. I have never seen her give up,” she had noted early in her career. This tenacity, coupled with her powerful serve and aggressive baseline game, redefined women’s tennis.

Now heading into the clay season, we know it’s no easy task for Coco. While she won the junior French Open title and reached the final of the women’s singles there in 2022, suggesting a natural aptitude, she has also stated that she finds the movement on clay particularly challenging compared to hard courts. However, she always has a plan and Serena remains her top pick when it comes to toughest opponent her to do better on the red soil.

Coco Gauff picks Serena as the most dominant player on court

Coco Gauff geared up for the 2024 clay season with a strategic focus on her training. “Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I think we work more on the legs and the glutes because you do a lot of sliding, a lot of awkward movements. It’s a lot of injury prevention,” Gauff explained during the 2024 Miami Open. She added, “Other than that, it’s just gradually changing surface. You’re not going to go out the first day and have a super incredible movement practice. I feel like when you play on it more, it just hits you like that.”

When asked about her toughest opponents, Gauff’s admiration for Serena Williams was unwavering. She said, “The greatest competitor that I have faced, let me think. Actually – that I have seen, definitely Serena. I’ve never played her. I’m trying to think of people that I’ve played that every time I play is very competitive.” But what about among the ones she has competed against?

Thinking of someone she competed against, Coco named Aryna Sabalenka, whom she later defeated in the 2024 WTA Finals before winning the title against Qinwen Zheng.

Despite a challenging start to 2025 after a strong United Cup showing, Gauff remains optimistic about her clay prospects. With Stuttgart as her launchpad, she hopes to secure her first clay title Emilia-Romagna Open in 2021, and make strides toward Roland Garros glory. Can she channel her inner Serena and conquer the red dirt?