Remember when Coco Gauff penned a heartfelt letter on the ‘NBC Olympics’ website last July? Memorably. she said, “You’ve been lucky enough that your on-court relationships have turned into off-court friendships. One of those notable friendships is with your idol, Serena Williams.” With 23 GS singles titles and four Olympic medals, Serena Williams remains an enduring symbol of greatness, not only in the US but all over the tennis fraternity. Gauff has long admired how Serena carried herself with the poise of a true champion. Now, with the French Open on the horizon, Gauff once again hints at Serena’s influence, revealing why Americans dominate the WTA circuit and crediting role models like Serena as the driving force!

To give you the full picture, Madison Keys captured the season’s 1st GS singles title in Melbourne, her 1st major win at nearly 30, which catapulted her into the Top 10 of the PIF WTA Rankings. She now joins fellow Americans Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in that elite tier. But the US resurgence runs deeper. Amanda Anisimova claimed her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai, soaring into the Top 20, while Pegula triumphed in Austin, and Emma Navarro took home the title in Merida, Mexico.

With seven of the 14 titles this season claimed by American women, including a dominant United Cup showing where Gauff went 5-0 to lead Team USA to victory in Sydney, it’s clear the stars and stripes are thriving. And as the French Open looms, Coco Gauff pointed to the legends like Serena Williams as the powerful force behind the current wave of American dominance on the WTA Tour.

Speaking at a pre-tournament press conference at Roland Garros, Coco Gauff opened up about the reasons behind the recent surge of American women dominating the WTA rankings. A candid Coco shared, “Other than like the obvious like size of country and things like that plays a big role. But I feel like just us having a lot of role models to look up to throughout the history of the sport. There’s always been American women, multiple American women doing well in this sport. So it inspires other people to do that. And obviously when you have people who’ve done that before and the coaches are still very involved in the sport, it helps develop young players. And we have a lot of resources, thankfully, in the US – especially when it comes to tennis, so I think that also helps.”

Subsequently, she emphasized the enduring impact of shared experiences among American athletes, from their youth careers onward. The second seed explained, “And then obviously being on tour, just seeing your compatriots do well, you know… You have to remember a lot of us are grew up playing against each other. And juniors lost to each other and beat each other, and I think if you see your friend who you beat you or used to beat or beat in juniors and they do super well at a slam or at a big tournament then you’re like ‘Okay we were at the same level at this age so I don’t see why I can’t do the same.’”

And according to Coco, belief plays a massive role in translating talent into results. She addressed, “And a lot of tennis and a lot of being successful is literally just that belief factor is not as much the game, and I think we have a lot of belief in our country just because of the amount of success I feel like it’s had over the years.” 

While Coco proudly hinted at past icons like Serena Williams as her driving motivation, her father, Corey, has also recently echoed a similar sentiment, further reinforcing the powerful role that legacy and belief play in shaping champions.

Corey Gauff elaborates on what young Coco saw in Serena

Recently, Rolex’s official YouTube channel released a compelling video titled “Rolex presents: Coco Gauff – Game Changer,” offering a heartfelt glimpse into Coco Gauff’s meteoric rise in tennis, narrated by her father, Corey Gauff. The documentary illuminated key moments in Coco’s development, emphasizing the profound impact that inspired her aspirations for greatness.

Corey recalled a defining moment from her childhood in the same video: “I remember, she’s about five or six, watching the Australian Open and Serena wins. I remember saying, ‘She’s going to be the GOAT.’ She said, ‘What is the GOAT?’ I said, ‘Greatest Of All Time.’” Inspired by Serena’s brilliance, young Coco responded with bold ambition: she wanted to be a ‘GOAT’ too.

Moved by her enthusiasm, her father took immediate action. “I ran out and bought her a racket. That’s how it all started,” the proud father revealed. From that moment forward, Coco began her journey, evolving into one of tennis’s most promising talents, relentless, composed, and already a Grand Slam champion on home soil.

Today, Coco Gauff’s presence on court echoes the spirit of Serena Williams, her childhood idol. As she prepares for another title run at Roland Garros, the question now looms: with the heart of a champion and the fire of her inspirations, can the second seed turn the clay court of Paris into another page of history? What do you think?