Wimbledon’s newest star: American 15-year-old Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff BEATS Venus Williams in the first round after becoming the youngest girl in 50 years to qualify for tournament
- Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff beat the seven-time Grand Slam winner on Court One today
- Teen adores the Williams’ sisters, and even moved to Florida to further career
- Williams had won four of her Grand Slam titles before Gauff was even born
An American 15-year-old has become Wimbledon’s newest star after beating her idol Venus Williams in the first round.
In an electrifying match, Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, 15, beat the seven-time Grand Slam singles winner, 39, on Court One – just a week after finishing her exams.
Gauff beat the tennis legend, who had won four of her Grand Slam titles before she was even born, winning both sets 6-4.
The emotional teen, who is the youngest girl in 50 years to qualify for the tournament, revealed after the match that it was the first time she had cried from winning and that Williams gave her some words of encouragement.
Her father and coach, Corey Gauff, looked ecstatic after his daughter’s shock win on the first day of the tournament.
Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, 15, has beaten her idol Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon – despite finishing her exams just a week ago
Gauff became the youngest girl in 50 years to qualify for the tournament
Gauff beat the tennis legend, who had won four of her Grand Slam titles before she was even born, winning both sets 6-4
Gauff’s father and coach Corey Gauff looked delighted when his daughter won. He watched the game with his wife, Candi
Gauff has modelled her life on the Williams sisters – moving from Atlanta, Georgia, to Florida to further her career.
This isn’t the first time she has come face-to-face with her hero – when she was eight, Gauff’s father managed to get front-row tickets to the U.S. Open and she even got her autograph.
Earlier this week, she told SportsMail: ‘They’re great role models for the sport and in general. I’m super excited to play against Venus. I’ve never practised or hit with either of them.
‘My first U.S. Open I went to when I was eight we saw a Venus match, my dad somehow got us front-row tickets. I got her autograph, I was so happy.
‘After the match she gave the ball kids one of the balls and he gave it to me — I don’t know if she told him to.’
The emotional teen revealed after the match that it was the first time she had cried from winning and that Williams gave her some words of encouragement
Williams, pictured during the match today, last won Wimbledon back in 2008
Gauff was the youngest U.S. Open junior finalist at 13, and according to Forbes is set to earn $1million (£800,000) from endorsements in 2019.
Her serve is already among the quickest in women’s tennis. She reckons her fastest serve was 122mph.
At Wimbledon last year in the women’s singles, only two players broke the 120mph mark: Venus and Serena.
‘I want to be the best of all time — better than Serena,’ she added. ‘I to hit like her, take the ball early like her.
‘I wouldn’t say everything is modelled around her but if you watch me play you definitely see little bits of Serena.’
This isn’t the first time she has come face-to-face with her hero Venus, pictured during the match today, either – when she was eight, Gauff’s father managed to get front-row tickets to the U.S. Open and she even got her autograph
Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff is the youngest woman ever in the Open era to qualify for Wimbledon
Gauff was the youngest U.S. Open junior finalist at 13, and according to Forbes is set to earn $1million (£800,000) from endorsements in 2019