Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff: Wimbledon’s 15-Year-Old Tennis Prodigy Who Has Been ‘Raised for Greatness’
by Chris Graham, The Telegraph 07/05/2019
Most 15-year-olds are studying history at school. Cori Gauff, though, has made it.
The American had already set a record by becoming the youngest player to qualify for the main draw of Wimbledon in the professional era, but on Monday the rising tennis star went one step further, seeing off her idol Venus Williams on day one of the tournament.
The youngest had beaten the oldest, with the 39-year-old going down 6-4 6-4. It felt like the passing of the flame and Gauff, who is known as Coco, was in no mood to tamp down such expectations.
“I want to be the greatest,” she said, evoking boxing icon Muhammad Ali.
Hard-hitting talk indeed, but a look at her meteoric rise shows it’s not an unrealistic ambition from a precocious teen who has long been punching above her weight.
United States’ Cori “Coco” Gauff, right, greets the United States’s Venus Williams at the net after winning their Women’s singles match Credit: AP
The match with Venus was Gauff’s grand-slam debut in the main draw of the women’s singles but she is already used to the slam stage. She reached the showpiece of the girls’ singles at the US Open in 2017 aged just 13, making her the youngest ever finalist.
At the French Open the following year she won the title just over two months after her 14th birthday.
Among those expecting great things from Gauff is Roger Federer, whose Team 8 management company represents the youngster.
“I’m super happy for her,” the Swiss great said. “I saw the last couple of games when she qualified. Obviously everybody was waiting to see what the draw was going to be like.
“It’s a great story. Coco is a nice girl, works really hard. I think she’s obviously got a wonderful future ahead of herself.”
She entered her Wimbledon debut ranked 313th by the Women’s Tennis Association, while Williams entered 44th. Despite the chasm in experience, Gauff swept her opponent aside with a mental strength that belied her years.
Cori Gauff celebrates victory over Venus Williams Credit: PA
Although she schooled Williams on the court on Monday, Gauff still has plenty of lessons to learn before she reaches the top – not least at school.
Gauff had to stay up late to take a science test at 11pm UK time the night before her final-round qualifier. She went on to beat Greet Minnen 6-1 6-1 in less than an hour.
Coming from a strong sporting family, she is coached by her father Corey, who played basketball at Georgia State University. Gauff’s mother Candi, meanwhile, was a gymnast before competing in athletics at Florida State University.
The family moved from Atlanta to Florida when Gauff was just seven to boost her tennis prospects. Now she is training at the same Florida academy once used by the Williams sisters.
“I’ve always challenged her, from the beginning of this when we started, telling her that she’ll be able to change the world with her racket,” her father told the New York Times.
The father-coach relationship has been difficult at times, she admitted.
“When we were younger, it was pretty easy,” she told the Sun Sentinel last year. “And then when I turned, I would say, 12 or 13, we used to argue, because he used to be annoying because he would bring tennis home, and he’s always around me. So now we talked, and we understand each other now more.
Gauff was inspired to play tennis because of the Williams sisters, especially Serena. Between them, Serena and Venus had won 10 grand slam singles titles before Gauff was born.
Gauff’s first Instagram post is a photo with Serena, who had said that the young star reminds her of her sister and of herself.
Serena has an extra connection to Gauff through her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who has worked with the teenager, and Serena said: “She’s so cool. She’s a great girl. I love her dad. They’re just really cool people.”
With her career accelerating fast, she is expected to earn $1 million this year in sponsorships from New Balance, racket maker Head and the pasta company Barilla.
“I want to be a role model to as many young athletes as possible,” Gauff said in a New Balance statement announcing her sponsorship.
Former stars certainly believe she is on the right track.
“She has been raised for greatness and this is just the beginning,” said Tracy Austin, who was just 14 when she first played at Wimbledon.
Seven-times Grand Slam champion John McEnroe was even more vocal in his support: “If she isn’t number one in the world by the time she is 20 I would be absolutely shocked. It was too bad for Venus that she had to play her.”
