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Coco Gauff Echoes Michelle Obama’s Life-Changing Words to Dish out Career Advice to Athletes Like Caitlin Clark and Others

Published 04/24/2024, 9:28 AM EDT

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Coco Gauff has gained a firm value for her voice after winning the US Open title in 2023. Along with surpassing multiple challenges that fall on her way to winning more titles, Gauff has also become a beacon of inspiration for budding athletes. Besides motivating emerging stats like Caitlin Clark to beat the game, Gauff took a masterclass to teach them how to navigate through fame.

In a recent conversation, rising American tennis star Coco Gauff shared valuable advice for rising stars like Caitlin Clark, who emerged as the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Having recently dealt with the pressures of fame at a young age, Gauff highlighted the importance of focusing on skills amidst life-changing opportunities.

“Michelle Obama told me this: ‘The power of no is very important.’ People are going to be approaching you about all these things, and every opportunity probably really looks cool,” Gauff said, echoing wisdom she gained from former First Lady Michelle Obama.

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She highlighted the importance of believing in one’s talent. “You want to continue at your craft. Tennis is my platform to get other thingsand so basketball or soccer or whatever should be bigger platforms to other things,” Gauff added, targeting Caitlin Clark, who recently got exposed to the world of fame with her stunning performance.

As Caitlin Clark steps into the spotlight as a professional basketball player, Gauff’s advice remains a guiding light for her to navigate through the challenges of fame while staying true to her passion and purpose.

Coco Gauff expresses her desire to play in the same line as Caitlin Clark

WTA star Coco Gauff never misses a chance to express her admiration for the WNBA star Caitlin Clark. When the 20-year-old recently gained a win over Sachia Vickery in Stuttgart, she mentioned how she was always into playing basketball.

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“Yeah, it’s funny because my dad was actually talking about that. He was, like, ‘You would have been right up there. You would have been a sophomore,” the WTA star said, affirming that she could have been a great fit in basketball, as well.

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Going ahead with her what-if, she also expressed a desire to compete with Caitlin Clark. “If I could go in another life, I would love to play on the same time as Caitlin Clark just to see if I could guard her. Obviously now I definitely couldn’t, but I don’t know if I trained for it, just to see,” she added.

As the tennis star continues to admire and support Caitlin Clark on her journey of emerging as a renowned star, it remains to be seen if the WNBA uses her lessons to navigate the world she is stepping into.

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Written by:

Akshay Kapoor

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One take at a time

Akshay Kapoor, a tennis writer at EssentiallySports, excels in crafting pieces that set new trends. His analytical skills riding on the back of certification in Digital Marketing help inject in-depth research as he covers the business undertakings of Tennis stars. Akshay’s articles touch the entire tennis spectrum, from iconic figures like Djokovic and emerging talents such as Holger Rune and Coco Gauff.
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Edited by:

Jacob Gijy