"The first money I ever made was because of Serena Williams" - When Coco Gauff reminisced about being legend's 'stunt double' in their first meeting
Coco Gauff once shared the memorable story of her first meeting with Serena Williams, disclosing how the encounter marked the first time she had earned money for herself. Gauff also expressed her immense admiration for her fellow American, hailing her as an "icon."
Shortly before the 2022 US Open, Williams announced her decision to retire at her home Slam. As the American's illustrious career neared its end, tributes from players poured in, with Gauff among those praising her remarkable legacy.
Speaking to the press ahead of her campaign at the New York Major, Coco Gauff opened up about Serena Williams being a childhood inspiration for her, emphasizing the significance of the former World No. 1 breaking into a "predominantly white" sport.
"I think really just the way she was able to transcribe in a sport that's predominantly white. I think that's something that, as a little girl, and even now meant a lot to me. Especially, like, growing up, before I was born, there wasn't many. Before Serena came along, there was not really an icon of the sport that looked like me," Coco Gauff said.
The then-18-year-old also reflected on her first meeting with Williams, fondly reminiscing about serving as the younger "stunt double" for her compatriot in a Delta commercial. Although the advertisement never went on air, Gauff revealed that it resulted in her pocketing her first earnings.
"Yeah, so I first met Serena, she definitely doesn't know this, I think I was 9 or 10 years old. They needed a stunt double to play a young version of her just the face down," Gauff said.
"I think it was for a Delta commercial. I don't think they ever used it, but that was, like, my first check I ever got as a kid (laughter). She doesn't know this, but the first money I ever made for myself was because of her doing a commercial (laughter)," she added.
While Coco Gauff acknowledged that the meeting likely didn't leave an impression on Serena Williams, she opened up about treasuring the memory and preserving it in a photograph.
"I met her. I stopped by her trailer, took a picture. She probably doesn't even know. My mom actually sent me a picture, like, a couple weeks ago of me waiting, getting my hair done by the people," she said.
"For me, Serena Williams is always going to be the GOAT" - Coco Gauff on being 'sad' about compatriot's retirement
During the same press conference, Coco Gauff emphasized that Serena Williams would always be the "GOAT" in her eyes. She highlighted that the 23-time Grand Slam champion had accomplished the rare feat of dominating women's tennis for over three generations.
"I think it's hard to dominate for generations. She showed that, but that's why for me, like, she's always going to be considered the G.O.A.T. She didn't dominate one generation. She didn't dominate for two generations. She dominated for three-plus generations. I don't think anybody else did that," Coco Gauff said.
Although Gauff admitted that it was "sad" to see the former World No. 1 retire, she expressed confidence that Williams would go on to do amazing things even outside the realm of tennis.
"That's why it's sad to see her leave, but also at the same time, she's going to do completely a bunch of amazing things off the court. She's in the fashion world. I saw her model, walk the runway of a show. We're going to see a lot of Serena later on," she added.
Coco Gauff also opened up about the valuable lessons she had learned from Serena Williams, disclosing her intention to follow in her compatriot's footsteps and "learn to not settle for less."