In today’s world of sports, there is no room for racism. In a time when members of different kinds of social groups are fighting for equal treatment, discrimination is slowly (even if at a turtle’s pace) becoming a thing of the past. Additionally, big names like Serena Williams and Venus Williams have also been at the forefront of the fight for racial equality, especially in tennis. Recently, American sensation, Coco Gauff, narrated a shocking incident from her childhood days when she was subject to racism.

Gauff came from a humble background and overcame all odds to become one of the best in the world. However, her childhood wasn’t easy as she was devoid of quality facilities. But even away from America at one tournament, Gauff suffered what she hadn’t imagined in her dreams.

When Coco Gauff was subjected to the harsh reality of the world

The American sensation took to tennis at a very young age and used to train at public tennis courts. Further, when she was 12 years old, Coco Gauff traveled to France to participate in a tournament. However, to her surprise, Gauff was mistreated by a group of young boys there. In an interview with TIME, the reigning US Open champion recounted her horror from childhood.

She went on to say that they threw orange peels at her and even called her ‘a monkey.’ Not being able to digest the trauma, Gauff cried the entire night. But expressing more maturity than her age demanded, the youngster quickly got over the incident, not letting it hold her down.

Gauff revealed, “Then I just kind of got over it the next day. I just felt like that’s just something that people experience, which is not a great thing. They just probably didn’t grow up around other people that looked different. I don’t have any anger towards it. It was not an experience that defined me.”

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While that episode did affect her, Gauff emerged stronger from that incident. Her mental fortitude needs no explanation as she has gone on to become one of the best in the tennis world. As a result, American legend, Chris Evert, heaped massive praise on her, especially for not just rising above disparities but actively fighting against them.

Chris Evert imagines big things from Gauff

Praising Gauff’s peculiar quality, Evert feels that she is a future leader in women’s tennis. Not only is she dominant on the court but also highly active off of it and sympathetically reaches out to her fellow players in times of need.

Praising Gauff, the American legend said, “When people see an athlete with her level of fame and fortune having humility and empathy for people around her and awareness of world events, it sends a clear message. She’s focused. She’s fearless. We need some leaders in the women’s game. She definitely will be one of them. If not the one.”

While it has been more than 8 years since Gauff’s racism episode, she has become a trailblazer for athletes of color. Additionally, young tennis stars look up to her and she has become a massive inspiration on and off the court.