Coco Gauff recalls receiving a helpful piece of advice from seven-time Grand Slam singles winner Venus Williams.
During an interview with Saturday TODAY’s Laura Jarrett, Gauff reflected on the encouraging words Williams said to her about dealing with online vitriol.
“She just said, ‘Be authentically yourself and keep being you,'” Gauff recalled.
During her interview, Gauff explained she wasn’t trying to live up to anyone’s legacy, instead choosing to focus on her own.
“I always tell people, ‘Iโm just me. Iโm just Coco. Iโm not going to be the next anyone, and no oneโs going to be the next me,'” she added.
Gauff, who claimed her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, says Williams has always been one of her idols.
“The first three tennis players I knew of were Serena (Williams), Venus, and Althea Gibson,” she said.
“My dad has always looked up to Althea and it was important for him to educate me as a Black woman in the sport, of where I came from,” she added.
Williams, who also spoke to Jarrett, said that she admires Gibson as well. Gibson, a pioneering athlete known for being the first Black woman to win a Grand Slam tennis title, helped to break racial barriers in the sport, paving the way for other Black athletes.
“I had an opportunity to feel proud of who I was and who I am because of people like Althea,” Williams said. “Of course, there’s different kinds of ways you’re perceived or sometimes treated because of the color your skin, but it never stopped me.”
Like Williams, Gauff is hailed as one of the best tennis players around, and she’s currently gearing up for her next tournament โ the 2025 U.S Open. According to Forbes, Gauff is one of the highest paid tennis players in the world.
While thinking about the impact she has on the younger generation, Gauff says she’s happy that she can be a role model for young kids.
“Regardless of if I win or lose, knowing that there’s at least one or two girls out there who look up to me, it makes me want to keep waking up and doing this every day and be the best version of myself,” she said.
Gauff is set to face off against Australia’s Alja Tomljanovic at the 2025 U.S Open on Sunday, Aug. 24.
