The on-court accolades of Coco Gauff have often garnered significant public attention. The American tennis prodigy has now made headlines, albeit off the court, as she has made it to Vogue magazine’s cover. For her incredible achievement, the reigning Grand Slam champion recently came forward to credit her compatriot and the former tennis ace, Serena Williams.

Gauff has rarely held herself back from lauding the ‘Queen of the Court’ for inspiring her to pick up her racket. Even for her off-court endeavors, Williams serves as an inspiration for the 19-year-old player, according to her recent disclosures.

In her pre-tournament press conference at the Indian Wells Masters, Coco Gauff was asked if she thinks her Vogue magazine’s cover feat can also be important for the sport of tennis. She answered by saying, “Yeah, I mean, first, it’s kind of an incredible honor to be on the cover. You know, I wasn’t expecting it when I found out about it, and yeah, it still hasn’t grasped me. I guess when I walk past and see myself that I’ll be cool, but I think it’s really important like to bring more fans in the sport.”

The young American tennis sensation went on to talk about how Serena Williams’ off-court presence paved the way for many people like herself. Gauff said, “You know I can’t you know with one thing I was talking about the other day with Serena is just that how much of a presence she had off the court that kinda matched her presence on the court and I think that’s what brought more fence into tennis and you know kind of paved the pathway for people like me to be on the cover.”

This is not the first time that the WTA player has hailed Williams after being honored with an off-the-court accolade. Even during a prestigious award gala, Gauff paid a heartfelt tribute to the American tennis legend.

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Coco Gauff hailed Serena Williams after being honored with an esteemed accolade

The tennis prodigy’s on-and-off-the-court endeavors have now earned her a spot on TIME Magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ list, which was revealed in February. During her heartwarming speech at the award ceremony, Gauff mentioned some of the monumental figures who inspired her, including Venus and Serena Williams.

Gauff said, “Venus and Serena Williams, who through their resilience, passion, and greatness, paved the path for athletes like me to dream big and chase those dreams.” What do you think about Coco Gauff dedicating her on-and off-the-court accolades to the American tennis legend? Let us know in the comments section. 

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