"I would not be playing tennis if not for the Williams sisters" says Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff was unfortunate to run into Naomi Osaka early in the event in Cincinnati however the American put up a valiant effort against Osaka. In the end, it was not enough but Gauff was overall happy with the trajectory of her career. She credited the Williams sisters as an inspiration to get into tennis:

“Yeah, for me, they (Williams sisters) mean a lot to me personally, just because, you know, I wouldn’t play tennis if it wasn’t for either of them. Definitely, a .1 per cent chance I would have picked up a racquet if they don’t exist. I think the reason that I believe I can go this far is definitely because of them.”

Gauff faced Venus Williams twice on the court beatin her both times. The first time was at the 2019 Wimbledon and it was her first major result that introduced her to the wider tennis public. Gauff never faced Serena but she explained how their caerers opened many chances for girls like herself.

She said:

“They broke so many boundaries, especially for African Americans in tennis, broke so many boundaries for women in tennis. Not even in tennis. In the world. Everyone in the world. Not just tennis, but every athlete and every person in general in the world. They definitely paved the way for me, and, for sure, they paved the way for other players as well.”