Coco Gauff says Serena Williams and Venus Williams were more than just two great players she looked up to but also someone who paved a path for her to be successful as a Black player and helped her learn how to navigate through certain things in a predominantly white sport.
Even before the current world No. 3 was born, the Williams sisters had already been multiple Grand Slam champions and widely regarded as one of the best and most dominant players in the game – especially in the early 2000s. Growing up, they didn’t come from a rich family. And not only that, but the now-American tennis icons also grew up in Compton – one of the most notorious Los Angeles neighborhoods. However, they overcame all of the challenges they faced and reached the stars.
Now, Gauff is the top-ranked American female tennis player and one of the faces of women’s tennis. But if not for the Williams sisters, the 20-year-old may not have been here. While the 2023 US Open champion is still very young and far from the end of her career, she is already hoping she can have a Williams-like influence on Black kids and be the reason why someone picks up a racket to play the game.
“What makes me unique? I mean we’re all one of one, so we’re all unique. There’s never going to be another one of me…
