"I'm not going to sit here and be like, 'Oh, I'm shocked'" - Coco Gauff on being mentioned in same sentence as Serena Williams after making US Open SF
Coco Gauff said she's no longer surprised with being talked about in the same conversation as her idol Serena Williams.
Gauff, 19, thrashed Jelena Ostapenko 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinal and became the first American teenager to reach a US Open semifinal since Serena Williams in 2001. The veteran went on to play the final as well but lost to her elder sister Venus Williams in straight sets.
At a post-match press conference, Gauff said she felt privileged to have her name mentioned in the same sentences as Serena Williams.
"It means a lot to me. I mean, being in any sentence with her is great. I mean, she's the greatest player of all time. You know, I'm nothing close to that yet. I'm just really honored to be in the same sentence as her," Gauff said.
The teenager, however, revealed that she has familiarized with the comparisons, suggesting they would continue as long as she plays.
"It's something that I'm used to a lot. So, you know, I'm not gonna sit here and be like, 'Oh, I'm shocked', but I feel like a lot of the stats have aligned with her, and people find new things to think about. I was the first teenager in the quarters and now semis, so I'm guessing if I win, they're going to be, like, finals. It's just going to keep going," she added.
The World No. 6 said that as a kid, she never imagined sharing stats with Serena Williams.
"Like I said, I never take it for granted. She's my idol. I think if you told me when I was younger that I would be in these same stat lines as her, I would freak out. But it is a cool moment to have that stat alongside her," Coco Gauff added.
Coco Gauff to face Karolina Muchova in the US Open SF
Coco Gauff will lock horns with the Czech Republic's Karolina Muchova for a spot in the final of the US Open 2023. In August this year, the duo played the Cincinnati Open final, which the American won in straight sets.
Muchova defeated Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3 in her quarterfinal match on Tuesday, September 5. Interestingly, she has dropped only one set in the tournament so far — against China's Xinyu Wang in the fourth round.
Gauff, on the other hand, has been on the high tide on hard courts of North America this year. The short season leading up to the US Open has yielded great results for the 19-year-old. She lifted the Mubadala Citi DC Open title in the first week of August before winning the Cincinnati Open two weeks later.
Coco Gauff will look to double her lead over Karolina Muchova in the head-to-head count (1-1) in a bid to reach her second Grand Slam final. She lost the title clash to Iga Swiatek at the 2022 French Open.