'She's the reason I picked up the racket and the sport and have the belief that I do': Coco Gauff opens on how much French Open win means

Gauff, who is now the top-ranked American player, has spoken before about how much Serena Williams has played a part in her career, and it seems that influence isn’t going to stop anytime soon. Speaking to NBC following her French Open final triumph, Gauff once again reiterated why the 23-time Grand Slam title winner means so much to her.

“It means a lot (to be the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015). She’s the reason I picked up the racket and the sport and have the belief that I do". Gauff was also beaming with pride about helping to put American tennis back on the map during the clay swing, drawing comparisons to what could be the start of dominance reminiscent of Serena Williams in the past. “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. 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".

Before Gauff began her French Open campaign, she revealed that she had met with Serena’s sister, Venus Williams, who gave her some words of advice that seemed to pay off: “I know you have big dreams, and to win this tournament you went so close (in 2022). And you’re going to absolutely do it. But, you have to do it one match at a time, but you got the goods. You got the attitude. I mean, you want to win every point, maybe too much sometimes. So the passion is there".

Gauff would later claim her meeting with Venus Williams was an “honour,” and it’s clear that this honour turned out to be very deserving, as she went on to win the title at Roland Garros.