Coco Gauff congratulated by actor Samuel L. Jackson for ESPN Cover Story feature
Coco Gauff was featured on the latest ESPN Cover Story, and many took notice – including American actor Samuel L. Jackson.
Jackson took to Twitter to congratulate Roland Garros runner-up Gauff, who posted photos from the multi-platform feature.
"Congrats!" Jackson wrote, accompanied by three fist-bump emojis.
🏾
@CocoGauff @espn Congrats👊🏾👊🏾👊🏾‼️
"Thank you @espn for allowing me to be this issue's cover story!" Gauff had earlier tweeted.
Thank you @espn for allowing me to be this issue’s cover story! https://t.co/WiN7qtsd7S
Included in the Roland Garros finalist's tweet were four photos of herself donning stylish athleisure in vivid and striking colors.
The story comes in written and video format and appears on ESPN's digital, linear and social platforms.
"I had a perspective shift in Paris; I realized life is so much more than tennis and winning and losing; This life is enjoyable" - Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff, at just 18 years, two months and 22 days, became the third-youngest Grand Slam finalist in the 2000s at the 2022 French Open.
Achieving so much at a young age, Gauff spoke to Alyssa Roenigk of ESPN about her journey – drawing inspiration from Serena and Venus Williams and their father Richard, a 10-year plan crafted by her dad Corey to take her to the professional stage at 18, the devastation of losing in the first round of singles and doubles in her Australian Open junior debut, wanting a time out from tennis, and rekindling the fire (after a poor showing in a match) once she was reminded by her mum Candi that Serena Williams does not stop believing she can win even when down a match point.
In a lengthy narrative titled "Coco Gauff is ready for greatness, on her own terms," the American teen sensation also spoke about her huge win over Venus Williams at Wimbledon, how she was affected by the "Cocomania" that followed, and how she learned to use her voice to speak out on important matters.
Gauff spoke about having a "perspective shift" during her recent stint at Roland Garros where she realized that there is more to life than tennis, and the results that followed.
"I had a perspective shift in Paris. I realized life is so much more than tennis and winning and losing. This life is enjoyable. I don't want to regret not having as much fun as I could have because I was worried about results," Coco Gauff said.
The ESPN story also mentioned how Gauff used her voice to speak out on the Texas elementary school shooting, writing "Peace" and "End gun violence" on the camera lens post-match at the French Open.
Roenigk also wrote about Gauff speaking at a Black Lives Matter protest two years ago, a month after the murder of George Floyd. She was influenced by her grandparents, who were educators, to be involved in important issues.
Gauff spoke about leaving a legacy that goes beyond the tennis court.
"When I leave this world, I don't want to be remembered as just being good at tennis. I want to be remembered as a good person and a good advocate," Coco Gauff told ESPN.