Words by Shayni Solanki
Coco Gauff is on fire; she’s winning it all and not stopping for anyone.
We all remember Coco Gauff winning the US Open for her first Grand Slam singles title. She made history at just 19 years old when she became the youngest American to win a major since Serena Williams.
Starting her tennis journey as a child, by 10 years old she was living in France training with Patrick Mouratoglou, who happened to coach Serena Williams. Fast forward just under a decade, and she found herself winning the US Open.
Rising through the ranks, she’s taken home trophy after trophy. In 2014, Gauff won the United States Tennis Association Clay Court National 12-under title (what a mouthful). Then, in 2017, she finished second in the US Open Girls Junior Championships before becoming the junior champion at the French Open just a year later.
Everything changed when she turned 18 though, the age at which tennis stars turn pro. In 2019, she made her Women’s Tennis Association debut and even managed to beat Venus Williams. Gauff then took the WTA title later that year, fulfilling her goal of making the Top 100.
Amazing to watch at the US Open, Coco Gauff made history. Taking inspiration from the Williams sisters, she trailblazed her way to victory against Aryna Sabalenka to win her first Grand Slam. After her victory she said, “[The Williams sisters are] the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest. They have allowed me to believe in this dream growing up.”
Despite the success of the Williams sisters, there aren’t that many Black tennis players at the forefront of the sport. Serena and Venus paved the way for young Black tennis players to dream big, and that’s exactly what Gauff did.
While some sports like football have better pathways for kids from minority backgrounds to climb the ladder, tennis is still lacking. How athletes like Coco Gauff and Lewis Hamilton make a difference in traditionally white-dominated sport is winning it all. They’re simply ahead of the game.
What we also love about Coco is that she stands up for herself – even though she’s young, she’s not putting up with any nonsense. At only 19 years old, she’s taught everyone not to play with her.
When she wins, she does it with style and serenity too. Watching Gauff play the US Open was an honour, simply because of how calm she kept herself. A lot of athletes crack under pressure: no one is immune to it. Still, Coco Gauff is a little different. In the final we saw Sabalenka start to crack all whilst Gauff kept herself solid as a rock.
When Coco Gauff won the US Open, she won it for all the little Black girls out there watching her soar. There’s something so special about watching a young Black girl make it to the apex of her sport. With Gauff joining the Williams sisters as an icon, she’s ready to light the way for the next generation – in the same way that Serena and Venus once did for her.