Former American player Jill Craybas recently spoke about the influence of Venus and Serena Williams on Coco Gauff’s tennis success to date.
In a recent program ATP Tennis Radio PodcastKrebas discussed how the positive influence of the Williams sisters has impacted the rise of Gauff, currently ranked No. 3 in the world. Not only did they boost the 19-year-old’s confidence, they also allowed her to express herself more openly and “shine.” “On the tennis court.
Krebas emphasized that Venus and Serena Williams played an important role in Gauff inspiring and guiding the younger generation to realize their tennis dreams, despite their young age.
“I mean, Coco Gauff talks about it all the time, how much of an icon they are to her, and now look at her, like she’s been able to let herself shine and open up. And she said it so well. Now she To have such an impact on today’s young generation at such a young age, and she’s still young herself,” Craybas said (24:33).
Jill Krebas emphasized that the Williams sisters also had a significant impact on the black community and society as a whole, inspiring people to pursue professional tennis careers by proving that it was an achievable goal for them too.
“But you can see how much, that line has continued, especially with Coco Goff, 100 percent starting with the Williams sisters and how much of an impact they had. But again, it’s able to fit into society.” They You don’t have to be a tennis fan at first. But following them, watching them and wanting to be like them makes a huge difference,” she added.
Coco Gauff on Venus and Serena Williams’ impact on her career: ‘They made me believe in this dream growing up’
During a press conference after winning her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, Coco Gauff expressed her gratitude to Venus and Serena Williams for their influence on her career. She acknowledges that it was the Williams sisters who instilled in her unwavering courage and fueled her dream of pursuing tennis during her formative years.
As a young black girl, Gauff recognized the scarcity of black tennis players in the tennis world, which made the Williams sisters’ achievements even more impactful.
“Yeah, it’s crazy. I mean, honestly, they’re the reason I’m getting this trophy today. They made me believe in this dream growing up. You know, black tennis players who dominate this sport and Not much. Literally, when I was younger, that’s all I remember about them,” Goff said.
The world number three said the influence of the Williams sisters’ legacy has led to a significant rise in African-American participation in tennis. Coco Gauff also admitted that Venus and Serena Williams have paved the way to make it easier for players like her to pursue tennis.
“Obviously, more people are here because of their heritage. So it makes the dream more believable. But all the things they had to go through, it makes it easier for people like me to do it,” she added.