While the Italian Open ended with a thrilling final where Coco Gauff faced tough competition from Jasmine Paolini, the Italian’s home-soil victory didn’t overshadow Gauff’s impressive journey to the final. Gauff’s opening match against Victoria Mboko gave her a scare after she lost the first set to the young American. However, Gauff praised Mboko’s performance, saying, “I don’t want to say she plays like me ’cause she obviously doesn’t. We’re like closer in age. I would say on the movement side athletically she’s one of the best athletes on tour.” The match lasted 1 hour and 43 minutes, with Gauff eventually winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. And for Victoria, it was quite a nerve-racking experience.

At the French Open, Mboko, now in her third qualifying round, reflected on Coco’s compliment. She told reporters at Roland Garros, “It’s obviously a really great compliment especially coming from her because honestly I felt during the match she was a lot better of an athlete than I was and it kind of made me feel a little bit insecure on court.” But Coco’s words stand true!

At just 18, Mboko started her 2025 season at the Miami Open and despite an early loss, she bounced back with a finals appearance at the WTA 250K Parma. Now ranked No. 122, she holds a strong 37/5 win-loss record. Not to mention, she even took a set off the 2023 US Open Champion during their clash!

Mboko said about her match with Gauff, “I mean, to have gone three sets with her, to kind of shake things up in the match, I think was a little bit better confidence for me, seeing what I can do and what I need to improve on at the end of the day so I’m really grateful to have played her and I gained a lot of experience from that match.” She’s not just admiring Gauff’s rise but learning from her own experience.

The American herself was a teenage prodigy who burst onto the international scene early. Her breakthrough came at Wimbledon 2019, when as a 15-year-old qualifier, she stunned Venus Williams in the first round. This victory sparked “Cocomania” and made her the youngest player to reach the second week of Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991.

During their Rome showdown, Coco started strong, breaking Mboko at love and leading 2-0. But Mboko fought back, matching Gauff’s defense and firing sharp shots. She forced errors and surged ahead 5-2. After Gauff double-faulted twice at 5-3, Mboko sealed the set with a netcord forehand, thrilling the crowd. This was only Mboko’s second WTA 1000 main draw, yet she impressed by nearly beating then-No. 11 Badosa at Miami and zooming up nearly 200 ranking spots since last year.

While Gauff is ranked No. 2 and eyes more Grand Slams, she knows what it’s like to be a shy teenager facing top players early. She admitted to feeling nervous during her early career!

Coco opens up about her mindset while facing off Venus Williams

Back in 2019, a then-unknown Gauff faced the daunting challenge of playing Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion. To block out the crowd, she said, “When I walked on the court, I put the music really loud in my ears because I didn’t want to look at, or hear, the crowd.”

Reflecting on the match in a Rolex documentary, she described it as “like a story book,” adding, “I just remember not looking at the scoreboard the entire match because I didn’t want to see her name. The hardest points of the match were the match points. I felt like I was holding my breath. I don’t want to be known as the girl who got close.”

That breakthrough victory was a glimpse of what was ahead. After narrowly missing out at the 2022 French Open to Iga Swiatek, she claimed her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open. Yet, that early win over Williams remains special, making her believe she belongs and fueling her drive. Showing respect after the match, she said, “Thank you for what you did, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

Williams responded with warmth, congratulating her and encouraging her to “keep going.” It was only the second time the legend lost in the first round at Wimbledon since 1997. Praising the young star, she said, “I think the sky’s the limit, it really is. She did everything well today. She put the ball in the court, which was much better than I did. She served well, moved well. It was a great match for her.” The two later paired up for doubles at the 2021 French Open but exited in the first round.

Now, the American sensation is set to face Australia’s Olivia Gadecki in the French Open first round. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko takes on Kaja Juvan in the third qualifying round on May 22. Could these rising talents make deep runs and meet later? Share your thoughts in the comments below!