One trait that separates Serena Williams from others on the tour is her longevity. The 41-year-old has many Grand Slam titles after turning thirty. The special one was her 23rd, which she won when she was pregnant. However, the legend once admitted that the intensity modern-day players have at a very young age is incredible.

Back in 2020, she was full of praise for the then-15-year-old Coco Gauff. The teenager received praise from all corners of the world after she defeated Venus Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon. Here’s what Serena said about Gauff.

Serena Williams praised Coco Gauff

Serena has always been supportive of fellow American juniors. She was extremely happy with the performance of 15-year-old Coco Gauff, who made a name for herself at a very young age. While playing in the 2020 Australian Open, the former world number one was full of praise for Gauff.

“She’s just impressive all-round, from her personality to the way she plays. I think it’s just all super-impressive. I was nowhere near her level at 15 either on the court or off the court, not even close, I know kids are growing up different nowadays, so I’m not sure. But I was nowhere near as smart and eloquent as she is. It’s nice to see,” Serena said.

Read more: ‘Serena Williams and Venus Williams Are Definitely Intimidating’- American Tennis Star Coco Gauff Says She Had to Pretend to Play Against Someone She Hates

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After Serena’s retirement, Gauff seemingly is her successor for the US. Currently, she holds the world number 4 rank in the WTA rankings and is the top player for her country.

Gauff terms facing Venus and Serena as intimidating

The 18-year-old has already created a big impact on her relatively short career. In the current season, she has shown excellent consistency. The American also reached her first Grand Slam final this year. Further, the 18-year-old continued to make it to the top stages of tournaments she featured in.

She became an overnight sensation after reaching the third round of the Wimbledon championships in 2019. Although she defeated Venus Williams en route, the teenager termed facing Serena or Venus Williams, as intimidating.

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In the Tennis.com podcast with Kamau Murray, the teenage sensation revealed that one has to pretend that you are playing someone you hate while facing the Williams sisters. Today, Serena has already hung her racket while Venus is not a mainstay on the tour. The onus is on Gauff now to take the American legacy forward.