“Means so much to me”: Coco Gauff over the moon with Serena Williams comparison following French Open triumph

Coco Gauff has opened up about her feelings after being compared to Serena Williams once again. The 21-year-old has been tipped as a natural heir to Serena, who has often been regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of women’s tennis, having won as many as 23 Grand Slam titles in her illustrious career.

Gauff recently lifted the French Open title after beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final with a score of 6-7, 6-2, 6-4. During her run at the Roland Garros, Gauff remained dominant throughout and secured five out of seven wins in straight sets.

The only time she lost a set before the final was in the quarterfinal against the 2025 Australian Open champion, Madison Keys. In that contest, Gauff came out on top with a score of 6-7, 6-4, 6-1. It was Gauff’s second Grand Slam title, and while doing so, she became the first American player to lift the accolade at Roland Garros after 10 years. The last player to achieve that before Gauff was Serena back in 2015.

Gauff recently spoke to NBC News, where she explained her feelings after being compared to Serena. The Atlanta-born player stated that she feels privileged to be in a conversation with a legendary player like Serena. Gauff once again highlighted that Serena was the reason she started playing tennis.

"It means a lot [to become the first American woman to win the French Open in last 10 years], she said. She's the reason I picked up the racket and the sport and have the belief that I do. And for me, to be able to be in any conversation with her, obviously she has her own legacy that will never be touched, but for me just to even have like a 5% of that, means so much to me and dreaming big and watching her compete in real life... I don't know. It's just crazy to say that 10 years later, I'm here with that trophy after she held it, so it means a lot and to finally put Americans back in that French Open conversation."