US Open champion Coco Gauff on how Serena and Venus Williams changed her trajectory: ‘They allowed me to believe’

The year was 2012 and the song of the summer was Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit, “Call Me Maybe.”

On kids’ day ahead of the US Open, an eight-year-old Coco Gauff bounced up and down in the second deck of Arthur Ashe Stadium, mimicking a phone call as Jepsen performed, with breakout London 2012 swimming champion Missy Franklin dancing behind the singer.

Eleven years later, now 19, Gauff captured her first major tennis title in that same arena, the American winning the US Open earlier this month over Aryna Sabalenka.

The teen harkened back to her childhood self, telling her “don’t lose that dream” of hoisting a Grand Slam trophy, while also crediting the champion from that year – Serena Williams (and her sister Venus) – for their direct impact on Coco’s success.

“They're the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest,” Gauff said of Venus and Serena after her win in New York. “They have allowed me to believe in this dream... all the things that they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this.”

Gauff joined Venus and Serena – as well as Althea Gibson and Sloane Stephens – as the only Black women to capture the US Open, her victory catapulting her to a career-best number three in the world.

How did Gauff use an unusual mix of factors to win her first major? And could she reach world No.1?

Coco Gauff: 'I'm burning so bright right now'

Having dropped to the ground overcome with emotion after winning a dramatic three-set final over Sabalenka, the Australian Open champ, Gauff collected herself to receive the US Open trophy from Billie Jean King, the tennis and women’s rights pioneer.

The US Open was celebrating 50 years of equal prize money for men and women, a movement led by King in the early 1970s.

“Thank you, Billie, for fighting for this,” Gauff said as she was handed the winner’s check for $3 million USD.

It was then revealed that while she had looked to Venus and Serena for inspiration, she had extra motivation from another group – her doubters.

“Honestly, thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me,” Gauff said on the trophy stage, the crowd roaring in reaction. “A month ago, I won a [WTA] 500 title and people said I would stop at that. Two weeks ago, I won 1000 title and people said that was the biggest it was gonna get. Three weeks later I’m here with this trophy right now.

She continued: “To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it. I’m burning so bright right now.”

She later revealed that she had been scrolling Twitter up until 10 minutes before her match, reading comments from people saying she was going to lose.

“People have different personalities: Some people need to shut off the comments and not look at them,” she explained. “But I'm an argumentative person. I'm very stubborn. My parents know. If they tell me one thing, I like to do the other (smiling).”

Can Gauff reach world No.1?

It was at Roland-Garros in 2022 that Gauff had made her first major singles final, falling to Iga Swiatek in straight sets. As they stood together for the trophy presentation, Gauff kept her eyes locked on the Pole as Iga hoisted the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen.

“I watched her the whole time,” Gauff said, 15 months later. “I said, ‘I'm not going to take my eyes off her,’ because I want to feel what that felt like for her.”

After a first round loss at Wimbledon in July to fellow American Sofia Kenin (the 2020 Australian Open winner), Gauff returned home to Europe two weeks earlier than she had planned or hoped.

“That was a tough, tough loss,” she confirmed to reporters. “I thought I was playing good tennis leading up to that.”

Instead of wallowing, however, she shifted gears: She hired respected coach Pere Riba and legendary coach/commentator Brad Gilbert as a tandem. She also added Jarmere Jenkins to her team, the former hitting partner of Serena.

The recipe turned out to be a successful one: She went 18-1 over four events, winning three titles and capping her U.S. swing off by becoming the first American teenager since Serena (1999) to win the Open.

While she ascended to No.3 in singles, she and doubles partner Jessica Pegula (who is ranked one spot behind her at world No.4), reached No.1 as a team in doubles, the first for an American duo since 2012.

Could the No.1 singles ranking be next for Gauff, too?

She has upward mobility in the WTA point system, having gone just 4-5 last season after the US Open, including three losses at the WTA Finals in the round-robin format.

Still only 19, she feels ready to tackle whatever comes her way as a Grand Slam champion.

That feels like something Venus and Serena helped teach her, too.

“I've been so used to this since I was 15 years old in high school doing online school,” she said, smiling. “I'm sure it might be a much bigger scale now because of this achievement, but I'm ready. I mean, I embrace it. I know how to keep my peace but also embrace all of this around me.”