Cori “Coco” Gauff is no ordinary teenager.
The 15-year-old high schooler just beat the formidable Venus Williams, an icon within the circles of Women’s Tennis. Cori Gauff who is currently ranked 273 globally faced off against Williams who is more than 2 decades older than her in the Gram Slam women’s singles yesterday (1.07.2019).
The young tennis prodigy took down five-time Wimbledon champion Williams. According to a report by CNN, “Gauff, nicknamed “Coco,” is the youngest player in the Open era to advance through qualifying to reach Wimbledon’s main draw, but she wasn’t content to stop there and beat the 39-year-old Williams, one of her biggest idols, 6-4 6-4 in their first-round clash at the All England Club.”
The beautiful tennis star took to Twitter to share the great news.
What a day 🤩😴@Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/8O3vjMT9oi
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) July 1, 2019
Gauf comes from an athletic family with her father playing basketball at Georgia State University and her mother a track and field athlete at Florida State University, according to The Sun. The young teen began playing tennis at the tender age of seven, and under the guidance and support of her parents, she has grown to become one of the most respected talents in the game.
Before bringing down Williams, Gauff raised her profile by winning the French Open girl’s championship last year. She also reached the quarterfinals of Junior Wimbledon. This year, she became the youngest woman to win a grand slam qualifying match in the French Open. The young prodigy already has sponsorships with New Balance and food company Barilla Group; however, her most recent win against Venus Williams could open more doors for major sponsorships.