After Serena Williams’ retirement in 2022, it looked like a massive void was created in American tennis. The 23-time Grand Slam champion had carried her country’s hopes on her shoulders for over two decades. However, with Williams’ exit came Coco Gauff, who at a very young age made her country proud. Recently, tennis legend Chris Evert highlighted one peculiar quality of Gauff that she believes will lead her to greatness.

Owing to Gauff’s scintillating performances, she has been one of the most talked-about athletes in the tennis world. From being a trailblazer for athletes of color to redefining the meaning of ‘highest-paid athlete’, the young American is on her way to surpassing the Williams sisters. Even Evert has been left in awe of the impact Gauff has had in women’s tennis.

Chris Evert lauds the ‘fearless’ attitude of Coco Gauff

Recently, TIME released a leadership100 series featuring some renowned athletes. Rising American sensation Coco Gauff also made it to the list, highlighting her tremendous impact on the sport of late. In this series, Chris Evert went on to point out what makes Gauff a major contender to be a future leader in women’s tennis. She 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.”

Further, she went on to add, “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.” 

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Another example of Gauff as a leader dates back to 2021 when Naomi Osaka withdrew from the French Open citing mental health issues. Subsequently, Gauff was among the first ones to message the Japanese star and ask about her well-being. Gauff also showed great leadership after Evert revealed a saddening update last year.

How did Gauff react to Evert’s ovarian cancer?

Late last year, the 18-time Grand Slam champion revealed that ovarian cancer had come back to haunt her again. Evert was first diagnosed with the disease two years ago, but it had returned again. Subsequently, Evert received massive support from the entire tennis community.

Coco Gauff was at the forefront of it, and she reached out to Evert in support and wished her a speedy recovery. Gauff shares a great bond with Evert and once said, “I always get videos of her on court-style looks on my page. I feel like I know her more for that and I think once I turned pro is when I watched a little bit more of her old tapes.”

Gauff is currently playing in the Madrid Open and will face Arantxa Rus in the second round tomorrow. With eyes solely on the title, it’ll be interesting to see how she performs on the clay courts in Madrid.