Coco Gauff, 19, became a Grand Slam champion and the youngest American woman to win the U.S. Open since Serena Williams in 1999. When she walked into the stands, she first lovingly hugged her parents, including her father, Corey, who has been her coach ever since. When she was a child, the scenes were powerfully reminiscent of Williams celebrating her first title with her father, Richard, and mother, Oracine Price.
The comparisons are nothing new and have been the norm for Gauff since she shot to fame at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old. She herself considers the Williams sisters to be her greatest influence.
“I remember I lost (a match) when I was 17 and there was a statistic and they said, ‘Oh, Serena’s not going to win a major until she’s her age,'” Gauff said Saturday. said after New York’s win. “I feel like there’s a time limit on when I should win a race and if I win a race after a certain age it’s not an achievement.
“Honestly, (Venus and Serena) are the reason I’m getting this trophy today. They made me believe in this dream. Growing up, there weren’t a lot of black tennis players dominating the sport. I can remember It’s just them. Obviously, they’re here more because of their legacy. Everything they’ve had to go through, it makes it easier for guys like me to do this. It’s an honor to be in the same lineup as them. “
Williams congratulated Goff on Saturday night, posting a photo of the youngster lifting the trophy to thousands of fans with the caption: “Ahhhh!! “Amazing!” ! “
Now that Gauff has emulated Williams’ feat – winning her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open as a teenager – it’s worth seeing how similar they were early in their careers.
Progress to this point
At the age of 17, Williams won her first Grand Slam title at the 1999 U.S. Open. She and her sister Venus rewrote the rules of the game from the start, playing powerful serve tennis from the baseline in a way that challenged the existing style of women’s tennis.
Goff’s influence has yet to transform tennis in the same way. But her touring progress has been steady. Her 162-78 record to date matches Williams’ 151-39 record after the 2001 U.S. Open (when she and Gauff are now the same age), both of whom peaked at the age of No. 4 in the world. .
judgment? At 19, the main difference is that Williams already has 10 titles to his name, while Goff currently has just six.