Coco Gauff hails influence of Serena and Venus Williams after US Open win – ‘They’re the reason why I have this trophy’

Coco Gauff hailed the influence which Serena and Venus Williams have had on her career after winning her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open.

Gauff recognised the exploits of the trailblazing Williams sisters for allowing her to dream big and follow in their footsteps.

Speaking in her post-match press conference, she said: “They’re the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest. They have allowed me to believe in this dream growing up.

“There weren’t too many just Black tennis players dominating the sport. When I was younger, it was just them that I can remember.

“Obviously more came because of their legacy. So it made the dream more believable. But all the things that they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this.

“I mean, you look back at the history with Indian Wells, with Serena, all she had to go through, Venus fighting for equal pay. Yeah, it’s just, like, it’s crazy and it’s an honour to be in that kind of line-up as them. And I’m looking at it, and she’s won this a lot of times.”

The 19-year-old then highlighted the exploits of the likes of Naomi Osaka, Althea Gibson and Sloane Stephens, and reflected on becoming the latest Black woman to win at Flushing Meadows.

“It’s an honour to be in that stat with Althea Gibson, Serena, Venus, Naomi, Sloane. They paved the way for me to be here.

“I remember Sloane winning this trophy in 2017. I lost in the juniors US Open. It was an inspiring moment for me to see her win because I grew up watching her and I have known Sloane since I was 10 years old.

“Obviously, Serena and Venus, words can’t describe what they meant to me. I hope that I’m a continuance of a legacy. I hope another girl can see this and believe they can do it and their name can be on this trophy too.”

The teenager highlighted the influence of her parents and grandparents in achieving a first Grand Slam title, along with the successful mantra that has served her well.

“The biggest one my grandfather says is: ‘Never say die.’ I was telling myself that I wasn’t going to give up after that first set. I have come too far to do that.

“My parents and my dad dream big, and he was wearing a shirt today that said ‘Imagine.’ I don’t know if he was wearing it during the match, but he showed me after the match. He showed me that imaginations can come true. It’s not always just the image in your head. You can make it a reality.

“My mum always reminds me that I’m a person and I’m human, and this tennis thing is just what I do, but it’s not who I am.

“I think that helped me, because I realise regardless of if I came home with this trophy or not, I’m still a human person and I still do a lot of good in this world outside of the court.

“In the past I would label myself as a tennis player, and I felt like if I didn’t do well in tennis, it meant I wasn’t a good person. It took a lot of growth to realise the opposite.”