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‘Two Different Brains’ – 18-Year-Old Coco Gauff’s Mind-Blowing Retort to a Journalist’s ‘Black’ Question Involving Her Idol Serena Williams in 2021

Published 11/25/2022, 3:00 PM EST

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Coco Gauff has made a name for herself by becoming one of the top-performing tennis players in 2022. With her astounding run in both singles and doubles categories, Gauff has become the heartbeat of the next generation of American tennis. However, when she first gained the spotlight, people saw Serena Williams in her.

In 2021, Gauff did not hold back when she was asked about being compared to the 23-time Grand Slam champion. She went all out and expressed her desire to concentrate on herself.

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Coco Gauff once gave a smart reply to her comparison with Serena Williams

The American tennis sensation reached her first Grand Slam finals in 2022 at the French Open. However, she lost it against the incumbent world no. 1 Iga Swiatek. Back in 2021, people compared her to Serena Williams. During an interview, Gauff smartly addressed this.

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She voiced her dream of playing Serena Williams in the finals, however; the comparison did not sit with her right. Gauff said, “People compare me to them a lot, and I think it’s a compliment, but for me just focus on being myself because I’m never going to be Serena Williams and Serena will never be me because we are two different people. We have two different brains.”

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Following that, highlighting her individuality, she said, “I understand why people compare us, but I think it’s just important that I want to be known as Coco.”

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Gauff articulately concluded, “I don’t want to be known as Serena Williams’ heir, or Serena Williams’ next thing. I just want to be known as Coco Gauff.”

Carlos Alcaraz on being compared to Rafael Nadal

The Spanish teenage sensation Carlos Alcaraz has been constantly brought into the limelight because of his sudden rise in the tennis world. The young player keeps on getting compared to the tennis legend Rafael Nadal because of their nationality. Moreover, their career trajectory also matches in one way or another. However, both have very different playing styles.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Carlos Alcaraz, the new sensational kid on the block

The continuous comparison of young players with tennis legends who have had decade-long careers seems to add more pressure. Obviously, fame comes with its price, but do you think the young lot should have their own space to grow? Please let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shivali Sharma

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Shivali Sharma is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. She has pursued her Master's in history from Himachal University, but her love for the game has driven her to write about tennis. Shivali is a huge fan of Naomi Osaka and admires Osaka not only for her on-court performances, but also for her off-court actions.
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Edited by:

Tony Thomas