"Both I admire so much" - Coco Gauff sets her sights on emulating Venus Williams' Wuhan Open triumph after matching Serena Williams' feat in Beijing
Coco Gauff has reaffirmed her deep admiration for her "idols," Venus and Serena Williams. The World No. 4 also shed light on her personal relationship with the Williams sisters after winning her tournament opener at the 2024 Wuhan Open.
Gauff recently clinched her second WTA 1000 title at the 2024 China Open, becoming the first American woman to triumph in Beijing since Serena Williams emerged victorious in 2013. The 20-year-old has now set her sights on replicating Venus Williams' 2015 heroics at the Wuhan Open.
Taking the first step towards achieving her goal, the World No. 4 claimed a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win over Viktoriya Tomova in her opening match at the WTA 1000 event.
Speaking in her post-match press conference, Coco Gauff hailed the seven-time Grand Slam champion for triumphing in Wuhan at 35 years of age, disclosing that she had taken note of her idol's portrait on the Walk of Fame.
"Yeah, I saw that Venus won. I was walking on the Walk of Fame here. Yeah, last week I saw that I was, like, the first American since Serena to win in Beijing. I don't know what the stats are here, but it would be really cool to do it here, especially both of them being my idols. Yeah, I didn't realize she was 35 when she won that title. It's pretty impressive," Coco Gauff said.
Gauff also spoke about her bond with the Williams sisters, disclosing how Serena had given her invaluable advice. The 20-year-old further reflected on learning from Venus from a "firsthand perspective" during their doubles partnership at the 2021 French Open.
Reiterating her appreciation for her idols, Coco Gauff emphasized how meaningful it was to be named in the same breath as Venus and Serena Williams, who have greatly inspired her career.
"No, both of them I have great exchanges with off the court. Serena has always been somebody I've looked up to on TV and in person. She's given my great advice," she said.
"Venus I've gotten to know maybe a little bit better just because I played doubles with her. Yeah, I just got to learn from her more from a firsthand perspective. Both of them I admire so much. To do anything in the same sentence as them means a lot to me," she added.
"Growing up as a black woman in America... It was just Serena and Venus Williams" - Coco Gauff on being inspired by Williams sisters
Speaking in her pre-tournament press conference at the Wuhan Open, Coco Gauff opened up about Venus and Serena Williams being her role models, highlighting that they were the only Black women in tennis she could look up to as a child.
"Yeah, I think for me like the advice I have just for any tennis player, but especially Chinese, I think me growing up as a black woman in America, not having seen that much representation in the sport of tennis, where it was just Serena and Venus, I think really pay attention to the people playing in the sport," Coco Gauff said.
The World No. 4 also advised young players to learn from their idols, while urging them to refrain from becoming "exact copies." Gauff pointed out that she was a different player than Serena Williams, despite her efforts to emulate the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
"Pay attention to your idols, try to emulate, but not an exact copy. Use them as inspiration. For me, my idol was Serena, so I tried her for as much inspiration as I can from her. We're two different players," she added.
Following her win over Viktoriya Tomova, Coco Gauff will lock horns with Marta Kostyuk in the third round of the Wuhan Open. If the American emerges victorious against Kostyuk, she will face Magda Linette or Daria Kasatkina in the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event.