In 2023, Coco Gauff became the first American teenager to win the US Open title since her “idol,“ Serena Williams, in 1999. After winning her first major title, she sent a clear message to her doubters, saying, “Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me. To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you were really adding gas to it. Now I’m really burning so bright right now.” Fast forward two years (almost), and the youngster has now secured her second major title, and that too on a surface that is claimed to be the least favorite for the Americans. With her incredible fight back against the world number one, Aryna Sabalenka, to seal the deal by 6(5)-7, 6-2, 6-4 in the 2025 French Open final, Gauff has now become the first American woman to win the title here since Williams (in 2015). What was her message to the doubters this time?

Coco Gauff had lost the finals in Paris almost three years ago to Iga Swiatek. Recalling that moment, she said, “Losing in the finals here 3 years ago had created a lot of doubt in my head. I thought I could never overcome the pressure; I thought holding this trophy would never happen. I thought my dreams were so close to happening but would never come true.” But having said that, she also mentioned that she has learned that having doubt enter her head is impossible to escape, but not impossible to overcome.

Just before the clay court season, she faced a lot of criticism for failing to clinch a title in 2025. Although she came closer to winning two by reaching the finals in Madrid and Rome, she failed to pass the ultimate tests. But did she give up? Well, the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen trophy is the perfect answer to this question! Gauff claims, “I think this [Grand Slam] win was harder than the first because you don’t want to get satisfied with just that one.” But what was her message to the people who doubted her abilities?

In a recent interview with TODAY, while talking about her second major triumph, Coco Gauff said, “It meant a lot for me and the people doubting me. I saw, I think it was, Malika Andrews interviews…people say the first time is luck and the second time is a habit. So, I wanted the second time to be a habit and hopefully, I can get a third and fourth and all of that. But I just wanted to prove to people that even though there’s no one who wins a slam, even if it’s one, it’s never luck. You have to win seven matches! I just wanted to prove to people I can do it again.“

Coco Gauff’s title triumph at Roland Garros was the result of manifestations, sheer hard work, and enormous mental strength. According to her coach, Jean-Christophe Faurel, “One of her greatest strengths is her mentality. She never gives up. She often makes the difference thanks to her strength of character.” Seeing Gauff’s incredible performance against Sabalenka, British legend Greg Rusedski claimed, “Mentally, there is nobody stronger in the women’s game.“

This incredible mental strength helps Gauff overcome all her doubts and give it back to her haters. Even last year, she shared a message to her doubters by saying, “Our message to the doubters is: thanks for adding fuel to our fire… Every great idea has a doubter. You can fight them, but never silence them, so while they talk, we get to work. Whether you are tasting a small business win or a championship, we can’t let them be the water to our fire. We gotta turn them into fuel that makes us unstoppable.” Can Coco Gauff now silence those haters who say she can’t win a title at Wimbledon? What are her chances of succeeding on grass?

Tennis experts share their thoughts on Coco Gauff winning her third major at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships

During a previous interview, Coco Gauff claimed that she wants to get to the “double digits” when it comes to winning Grand Slams. She’s eight more away from that figure. Can she reduce that number to seven by winning the Wimbledon Championships? Well, Coco Gauff hasn’t won a title on grass, and her best record at Wimbledon has been reaching the fourth round. She has a record of 11 wins out of 16 matches at the grass-court major tournament.

However, having said that, when she was recently asked about her approach on grass after a successful clay-court season, she said, “I think I’m going to approach it a lot more freer. Because I know when you do well in Paris, it’s such a quick transition to grass. I’m going to feel less pressure, regardless of how I do there.“

Can she find success on grass? Well, despite her success at the French Open, some of the tennis experts name a different pick for the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. Although Chris Evert picked Aryna Sabalenka for this edition. But she claimed, “She (Coco Gauff) is going to win all of them, yeah. For sure, she can win on every surface. She has won on clay and on hard. I can definitely see that she can win Wimbledon.” Even John Isner said that it’s just a matter of time before Gauff finds success at AO and Wimbledon.

But how can she find success on grass? Another tennis legend, Tracy Austin, pointed out, “She’s been to the fourth round three times and never past that, and I think it’s because of the extreme grip on the forehand; players have been able to rush her on that side.” She wants Coco Gauff to go a little bit bigger on her serve this year on grass. Do you think Gauff can carry forward her winning momentum on the grass court as well?