Coco Gauff has always had two idols in tennis.
And it’s no surprise that they are the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena.
Gauff has made five consecutive quarterfinalsGETTY“Having this is a reminder of where I want to go.”
That’s what a 15-year-old Gauff said as she pointed to a picture of Williams stuck on her bedroom wall.
Ever since she can remember, Gauff, who plays Madison Keys in the quarterfinals of the 2025 French Open, has idolized the Williams sisters.
It started on the courts at Delray’s Pompey Park in Florida, a middle school Serena and Venus attended in the sixth and seventh grades where they spent countless hours honing their skills.
It was where Coco practised hers too – not to mention her maternal grandmother, Yvonne Odom, also taught there.
When Gauff was nine, she was cast as the body double for a young Serena in a Delta Airlines commercial shot at a country club in Palm Beach.
In 2019, she announced herself on the world stage by upsetting Venus in a shock result at Wimbledon.
Fast forward to 2025, and the World No. 2 is a Grand Slam champion herself, winning her maiden major at the US Open in 2023.
Williams’ streak of dominance ran from the 2002 French Open to the 2002 US Open. Gauff, meanwhile, has been a semifinalist at the 2023 US Open – which she won – and the 2024 Australian Open.
Serena beat Venus in three straight finals in 2002 (French Open, Wimbledon and US Open).
A teenage Gauff has a picture of Serena on her bedroom wallX@WhistleSports She idolizes her but wants to break her Grand Slam recordX@WhistleSportsIt was part of four straight majors for the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion – known as the ‘Serena Slam’ (all four majors in a row but not during one season) – which she achieved across 2002 and 2003.
At the age of 21, Gauff continues to follow the footsteps of the Williams sisters. After her win over Ekaterina Alexandrova in round four, Gauff has equalled another one of their records.
She became the youngest player to reach 5+ quarter-finals in the women’s singles side at a Grand Slam event since Venus Williams did back in 2001.
Gauff’s five consecutive quarterfinals in Paris also make her the fourth youngest player to achieve such a feat — only older than Martina Hingis, Steffi Graf and Conchita Martinez.
Serena beat big sister Venus in three Grand Slam finals in 2002GettyIt’s no surprise it’s the French Open where fans are seeing the very best of the American.
After accumulating a 13-5 record on hard courts this year, Gauff has dominated on clay.
She reached back-to-back finals in Madrid and Rome last month, and her record is 15-3 since the start of the clay swing.
Now, Gauff will have her eyes set on becoming the first American since Serena to win the French Open.
But no matter how far she climbs, the Williams comparisons will always be there for a player constantly referred to as ‘The Next Serena’.
To many that comparison would be a heavy burden. The Gauffs themselves, however, have never been shy about the Williams family’s influence on them.
“If it wasn’t for the Williams sisters, Coco would not be a tennis player,” Candi, Coco’s mother, said.
The American is enjoying another strong clay campaignGetty“And if it wasn’t for Richard, my husband would not have studied tennis in that format. He’s patented himself off [Richard Williams] and used their roadmap.”
Serena’s illustrious career has been a guiding light for Gauff for as long as she can remember.
But make no mistake, she hopes to one day eclipse even her idol’s laundry list of achievements in the sport.
“I want to be the best ever,” a 15-year-old Gauff said after showing off the Serena poster in her bedroom.
“I want to be better than Serena, and I want to have that Grand Slam record.”
And why can’t it be the French Open, a tournament she has long enjoyed success at?
She won the double title there in 2024 to go alongside her semi-final appearance that same year and a runner-up shield in 2022.
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