If you are a well-known tennis player, and you have to invite three other well-known personalities to your house for dinner, who would they be? The same question was asked to the 18-year-old rising tennis sensation, Coco Gauff, but her answer to this question came as a little shock as she left out her tennis role model, Serena Williams. If her idol didn’t make the cut, who were her choices? Let’s find out.

The world number 6 has never hidden her administration for the 23-time Grand Slam champion. And not only that, she is quite vocal about how Williams has taught her and the other young tennis stars to never ‘settle for less.’ 

Coco Gauff left Serena Williams out of her dinner invite list 

Recently, the 18-year-old spoke to The Palm Beach Post. And in that conversation, she was asked about the common dinner party brain teaser that asks a simple question. In honor of the New York Post’s Steve Serby, the host asked the American teenage sensation to name three people, dead or alive she would like to invite over to her house for dinner.

To which Gauff replied, “Three people to have dinner with? I would say, ooh, it’s a tough question. But Maya Angelou, Beyonce, and Arthur Ashe.” The 2022 French Open finalist chose Maya Angelou, who was a well-known American memoirist who died in 2014 after creating her name as a poet and as a civil rights activist. Next up was the three-time Grand Slam winner who revolutionized tennis for African-American tennis players.

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Last but not least, she picked Beyoncé because she enjoys listening to her music a lot. But what surprised everyone was that the world’s sixth-ranked tennis player didn’t choose her idol, Serena, who she has greatly admired both on and off the tennis court. It appears that the American tennis star left out her tennis idol in order to meet Beyonce. However, Gauff has often stated that the 23-time Grand Slam champion is the primary inspiration for her love of tennis.

Williams inspired Gauff to take up tennis 

The former world number one has motivated many young tennis players to pursue their goals. After the American tennis legend announced her retirement from the sport, the 18-year-old discussed how the 41-year-old tennis legend had a significant influence on her professional career.

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The 23-time Grand Slam champion, in the eyes of the young tennis sensation, is one of the main reasons she decided to enter the sports world. Along with that, she grew up watching the American tennis ace dominate the Tour and establish a name for herself.

Did Serena inspire you in your professional or personal life?