American tennis star Coco Gauff is having a brilliant year. Earlier, the 18-year-old made it to the finals of the French Open, both in singles and doubles. Although she lost in both, the American kept improving. She recently partnered with compatriot Jessica Pegula and won the Canadian Open doubles. Later, Gauff explained how Serena Williams motivated her to do well in both singles and doubles.

As a testament to her words, Gauff featured in singles at the Canadian Open as well. She defeated Wimbledon Champion Elena Rybakina in the round of 32 to advance to the quarterfinals. However, she went down against the eventual champion Simona Halep in the semifinal.

Coco Gauff hails Serena Williams

With the title in Toronto, the 18-year-old has reached the top of the doubles rankings. At 18, she is the second youngest behind Martina Hingis to achieve this feat. Later, while interacting with the media, the 18-year-old explained how Serena inspired her to do well in both singles and doubles.

“It’s pretty cool to be No 1 in something. People overlook [doubles] sometimes, but people forget, Serena has 23 Slams in singles but she has 14 in doubles,” she said.

Further, she praised Serena for her brilliance in both singles and doubles. “That’s why she’s the greatest player, too, because she dominates both sides of the game,” she added.

Read more: ‘Made Me Believe That I Could Dominate Too’ – Coco Gauff on Serena Williams’ Huge Influence on Her Tennis Career

Serena Williams has been an inspiration to many budding tennis players all over the world, and Gauff is among one of her biggest admirers.

Gauff dreamed of facing Serena Williams on the court

Born in the era of Serena’s domination, Gauff grew up watching the legend. When the news of her retirement broke through, the 18-year-old was full of praise for her compatriot. Further, she also expressed her desire to face her idol at least once on the court.

“I have always wanted to play her. So I’m hoping that my draw in Cincinnati or US Open or even here can work out,” she said.

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After Serena’s first-round exit from the Cincinnati Masters, the chances of her facing Gauff look very slim. Although she can still hope for the stars to align during the US Open.