Coco Gauff is pictured during practices at the All England Club in Wimbledon yesterday
Excited Wimbledon fans arrived today for the latest chapter in the saga that has captured the hearts of the nation.
Fresh from her crowd-pleasing heroics last week, 15-year-old sensation Coco Gauff faces her toughest tennis test yet.
The US teenager, who beat her idol Venus Williams last Wednesday then fought back from the brink of defeat to see off Polona Hercog on Friday, will play former world number one Simona Halep for a place in the last eight.
Coco, ranked 313 in the world at the start of Wimbledon, is already guaranteed prize money of at least £176,000 – tripling her career earnings.
And she has won an army of celebrity fans including former First Lady Michelle Obama and rap star Snoop Dogg.
She is set to be a millionaire at 16, having signed to Roger Federer’s Team8 agency and with sponsorship deals with sports brands Head and New Balance.
Experts say she has the potential to become the highest paid female athlete of all time – winning Grand Slam tournaments could see her earn £100million a year.
Tennis fans are led in today at the Wimbledon Championships in South West London today
Spectators are led in on day seven of the tournament at the All England Club this morning
Spectators make their way past court 18 on day seven of the Wimbledon Championships today
Coco’s thrilling win against Miss Hercog on Centre Court on Friday was watched by 5.2million viewers, the highest BBC audience for Wimbledon this year.
It was also two million more than tuned in on Saturday to watch Andy Murray’s return in the mixed doubles. It even beat the viewing figures for last year’s women’s final.
She does not appear fazed at the prospect of facing Romanian Miss Halep, the seventh seed, on Court One.
‘I’m just going to approach her like every other match I have been approaching,’ she said. ‘My routine has been working pretty well.’
Chris Fava from America stands this morning in the queue at Wimbledon Park for the tennis
Spectators are looking forward to watching more tennis action in London’s SW19 this morning
Tennis action begins this morning with a doubles match on court 16 at the All England Club
She said the highlight of her week was not on court but when Mrs Obama tweeted ‘Coco is terrific!’
The teenager, who warms up for matches by watching prank videos on YouTube, said: ‘I was super excited. She is one of my role models, so it was cool to see she knows I exist.’
Serena Williams is currently the only woman in the Forbes list of the top 100 earning athletes, but industry experts have predicted Gauff could overtake her.
Nigel Currie, former joint chairman of the European Sponsorship Association, told The Sunday Times: ‘Without doubt she has the potential to be the highest paid sports woman ever and it has been a crown waiting for someone to grab hold of for the last 10 years.
Coco celebrates beating Polona Hercog at the Wimbledon Championships on Friday
‘It has been crying out for a woman to become that figure.
‘At the moment you would be talking about earnings of £50million a year as the dominant player in the women’s game, but if Gauff wins multiple Grand Slams and dominates you could probably double that.’
It emerged yesterday that Coco’s grandmother Yvonne Odom, who she said inspired her, was a trailblazer in the 1960s civil rights movement.
The 73-year-old made headlines in local newspapers when she became the first black pupil at all-white Seacrest High School in Delray Beach, Florida.
Corey and Candi Gauff celebrate their daughter’s victory at Wimbledon last Friday
Coco serves during her match against Polona Hercog at the All England Club on Friday
However, it was also reported that her paternal grandmother is suing her father Corey – who gave up his highly paid sales job to coach her – over a bar in their home town in Florida.
Coco’s grandmother Dr Deborah Wright, 67, put £400,000 into the opening Paradise Sports Lounge three years ago, according to The Sun.
But she claims Corey, 47, later forged her signature to transfer funds and barred her, while also alleging she was threatened with ‘physical harm’ by him.