Tennis legend Coco Gauff has much to celebrate as she has made history on the court. The 19-year-old has become the first American teen to reach the U.S. semifinals since Serena Williams.
“The dreams never came with the people in the stands and autographs. That was never in the dreams,” the 19-year-old Floridian said in a recent interview about her performance. “It was just, like, the trophy.”
So, just how did Gauff get here?
Well, on Tuesday, the talented athlete defeated opponent Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2. With this win, Gauff made history, becoming the first American teenager to reach the final four at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams did it in 2001.
But, Gauff isn’t letting her win cloud her focus. She still knows that there is still more work to do before she can take home the big prize. She is well aware of the fact that she has “another two weeks” to play.
“I’m still in the mindset that I’m in the beginning of the tournament. That’s what I have learned in the past [from] being in quarterfinals. Before, I would think, ‘Close to the end.’ But right now, I have the mentality that I told myself, ‘I still have another two weeks to play.'”
The talented athlete continued, “So that’s where my mind is at. Then, obviously when it’s over, it’s over. But right now, I’m just saying, ‘Another two weeks.'”
Gauff began playing tennis at six-years-old. In a quote found in her official bio, Gauff recalled, “I wasn’t much of a team person. I loved tennis. I was so-so about it in the beginning because when I was younger I didn’t want to practice at all. I just wanted to play with my friends. When I turned eight, that was when I played ‘Little Mo’ and after that I decided to do that for the rest of my life.”
And, from eight-years-old to 15, Gauff went on to began perfecting her craft. So much so that if you remember, the teen gained overnight fame, at the age of 15, when she defeated Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon in 2019.
And of course, this is still just the beginning for this tennis phenom.
The world is watching, Coco! And we are unquestionably rooting for you!
Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: Coco Gauff Instagram
