‘Thought Their Careers Would Be Done’ – Coco Gauff Feels Grateful to Have Played Against Legendary Sisters Venus and Serena Williams

American tennis star Coco Gauff is currently the youngest player in the tournament competing for the French Open title. After beating Sloane Stephens in the quarter-final yesterday, she reached the semi-final of the Roland Garros for the first time in her young career. 

Before her quarter-final match, she talked about facing Stephens, and how she always looked up to her. However, she also gave an interesting answer about facing Venus and Serena Williams. 

Coco Gauff opens up about facing Venus and Serena Williams

During the press conference, Gauff praised her fellow compatriot, Stephens, as she watched her closely while growing up. In a way, she always knew that she would face Stephens in a match. However, she didn’t expect to face the Williams Sisters. 

“I think growing up knowing her (Stephens), I knew we were going to play each other eventually. I mean, yes, I was young, I had a very competitive mindset since I was a little girl. Yes, I looked up to her and all that, but I knew that I was going to be playing against her is quite different from the Williams sisters. I didn’t think I would play against them. I thought their careers would be done by the time I came. So I knew I would always play against Sloane,” Gauff said. 

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In a way, she was complimenting Venus and Serena’s longevity. Since making her professional debut in 2018, people drew comparisons between her and the Williams Sisters. She did make an explosive start to her Grand Slam career by beating Venus Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon first round. 

Gauff vs the Williams Sisters

Speaking of Wimbledon, Gauff made her Grand Slam debut in 2019 Wimbledon, where she met Venus Williams in the very first round. The hype was tremendous around this match, as the tennis world saw the rise of a superstar as she beat the legendary tennis player. Many thought it was a passing of the torch moment for the youngster. 

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Then, at the Australian Open 2020, Gauff faced Venus again in the first round and again she won the match. Last year, at the French Open, they paired up to play doubles. Unfortunately, the pair lost in the very first round. Interestingly, Gauff never played against Serena in her professional career. However, they did practice together during the 2020 Fed Cup.