Back in January this year, Coco Gauff’s father, Corey Gauff, made a heartfelt revelation on The Sit-Down Podcast. Serena Williams wasn’t just a tennis legend to them; she was the spark that lit Coco’s journey. “I was watching Serena actually win here when Coco was five years old,” he shared, recalling her 2010 AO triumph over Justine Henin. That moment led Corey and his wife to buy their daughter her first racket. Fast forward from that revelation to today, and after back-to-back Masters 1000 SF appearances, Coco is gearing up for Roland Garros.
Despite a promising clay-court season, Coco Gauff has yet to secure a title. In the Italian capital, she delivered a string of commanding performances, toppling big names en route to the final. Yet, home favorite Jasmine Paolini halted her run with a spirited, precise performance that denied Coco the crown.
Earlier in May as well, Gauff also made it to the Madrid Open final, only to be overpowered by the Belarusian top seed Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets. And if she’s looking for some inspiration to go all the way at Roland-Garros this year, she’ll have plenty of it, thanks to the top 5 WTA legends she looks up to.
Coco Gauff recently appeared on the Euro Sport Tennis YouTube channel, where she revealed her top five WTA legends in a short but heartfelt clip. “I think I’m just going to name people and forget the order. I definitely think Chris Evert is up there. Martina Navratilova for sure, and then Steffi Graf. I feel like I have to put Venus Williams up there and number one for me, this is the only position that is not interchangeable is for sure, Serena Williams,” she added.
241012 — WUHAN, Oct. 12, 2024 — Coco Gauff serves during the women s singles semifinal match between Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Coco Gauff of the United States at the 2024 Wuhan Open tennis tournament in Wuhan, central China s Hubei Province, Oct. 12, 2024. SPCHINA-WUHAN-TENNIS-WUHAN OPEN-WOMEN S SINGLES CN DuxZixuan PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN
As she listed the names, she was bold in clarifying that the top spot was never in question. “I think that she’s obviously the greatest and I think that her mindset, her athletic ability, her power, her personality, and like presence that she led in the sport, I think is very inspiring. So, to me, that’s why she’s my favorite,” Coco declared.
For Coco, Serena Williams has always represented more than titles and trophies. She once reflected, “Serena Williams has always been my idol… and Venus. They are the reason why I wanted to pick up a tennis racket.” In her youth, Coco viewed Serena as a role model, someone who was challenging limitations within a traditionally non-inclusive field. “Before Serena came along, there was not really an icon of the sport that looked like me,” she recalled.
Now, as she prepares to open her 2025 Roland Garros campaign, Gauff not only carries that legacy forward but also steps into the role of a leader herself. Before hitting the clay, she confidently named her 5 favorites for this year’s women’s singles title, adding yet another layer to her growing voice in the game.
Coco Gauff shared her top 5 picks for the French Open
Paris has always held a special place in Gauff’s career. She made her first GS quarter-final here in 2021 and went one step further in 2022, reaching the final. However, despite her dominant run that year, she was outplayed by Iga Swiatek, falling 6-1, 6-3 in the title match. And with her 2025 campaign about to begin, Gauff shared her thoughts on the title contenders.
“Obviously, I hope I’m up there, but there’s Jasmine [Paolini], Aryna [Sabalenka], Iga [Swiatek], Qinwen [Zheng], Mirra [Andreeva], there are more I can name that all have the opportunity,” said Gauff. “Who knows, we’ve all seen things like the US Open when Emma [Raducanu] won, so literally anybody can win this tournament. I think that’s what makes women’s tennis exciting,” she added.
The American top seed begins her journey this year against Olivia Gadecki. If she progresses, Anna Kalinskaya could be a 3rd-round test, with Barbora Krejcikova or Ekaterina Alexandrova possibly waiting in the 4th round. With back-to-back final runs in Madrid and Rome behind her, can Coco finally capture the elusive French Open crown?
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