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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 and there’s never going to be another one of anybody. That’s a cool thing to think about… Finding myself was difficult. Being Black in tennis is, sometimes you do stick out like a sore thumb. Like in the Black community, tennis is not a huge thing. Nobody really knew anything about it. I had mentioned that I play tennis but nobody cared,” Gauff explained in a video for Baker Tilly US.

“But I feel like for me, having role models like Serena and Venus to look up to made a difference. Honestly, I just remember watching Venus at the US Open. My dad got second-row tickets and we were so close and that was a cool thing. That’s what pushes me to keep going. Just because the sport is predominantly white, you believe you can do that passion when you see somebody that looks like you being successful. Hopefully, I can be that belief for somebody else.”

Venus Williams had a special message for Gauff just a few days earlier
Earlier this year, the American tennis star was left speechless after the USTA found a photo of her watching Venus during the 2012 US Open. At the time, the American tennis star was just eight and looking ecstatic to have a chance to watch her idol in action.

“WOWWWWWWW NO WAY SOMEONE FOUND THIS. THAT IS ME WATCHING VENUS at the US Open. didn’t even know the tv caught me in the stands. whoever found this shoutout to you ong (on God). THIS IS CRAZY. time flies. 1o1 I def was looking at the jumbotron to see if the camera was showing me lol. thank you for sharing!” Gauff wrote on her Instagram Story at the time.

On X, the former world No. 2 added a bit more, highlighting that it was the perfect example of why you should believe that every goal is reachable: “If this isn’t proof that your dreams are closer than you think then idk what is.”

A couple of days ago, Venus was a guest on a TV show when she was shown on the screen the photo and Gauff’s reaction. That’s when the seven-time Grand Slam champion used some big words to describe the 20-year-old.

“I mean it’s so exciting to see her just like… explode. She is fantastic, and of course, I hope she wins every match,” Williams said on the Tamron Hall Show.

Also, the 44-year-old said this example can be used as an inspiration.

“Exactly. And you have to dream. Doesn’t mean that there won’t be turns all the way of the dream or someday there’s gonna be ups and downs but as long as you have your north star…And there’s times when you have to figure out how to do it another way. But all that is a part of… you have to dream big,” the former world No. 1 said.

In one of her interviews, Gauff admitted that upsetting Venus Williams when she was just 15 at 2019 Wimbledon was “the pivotal moment in my life.”