Coco Gauff, from child prodigy to champion

What is your first memory of Roland-Garros? Do you remember the first time you came to play here?

My first memory of Roland-Garros is watching it on TV as a kid and imagining myself playing there one day and winning a title. I used to watch the best players compete on those courts, and it inspired me to do the same. Walking into the stadium for the first time was surreal. You feel all the history in the air. It’s one of those places you see on TV, and when you finally get here, it doesn’t even feel real. When I first started playing here as a pro, it meant proving to myself that I belonged. At first it was “wow, I’m here,” but over time, it became a place where I could grow. I’ve learned so much from every match here. Every year I’m excited to come back and hopefully do even better than the year before. Also, my first time playing here was at the junior tournament in 2018, when I won my first junior Grand Slam singles title. Winning the Grand Slam here seven years later made it even more special.

You won the junior title in 2018 at just 14 years and two months old! What did that mean to you at the time? How do you view your 14-year-old self?

Winning juniors felt amazing. I didn’t know then how much that would stick with me, but I’ve said that the fight I had in that junior final [she won 1/6 6/3 7/6 after being down 6/1 2-0 and then dealing with her opponent Caty McNally, also from the US, serving for the match in the third set] was similar to the mentality I needed later in the pros. I try to bring that competitiveness and belief forward into all of my matches. I view my 14-year-old self as a competitor.

When and how did you know you wanted to become a professional player?

I think that really clicked early, maybe eight or nine. Tennis never felt like something I had to do. I was passionate and loved the sport so much that I just wanted to keep getting

better.

In 2022, 2023, and 2024, here at Roland-Garros, you lost to Iga Swiatek. What makes her such a difficult player to beat on clay?

Iga is incredibly talented on every surface, but clay especially. She is a great competitor, and her consistency makes her stand out. To beat her, you have to be at your absolute best both mentally and physically.

What are you most proud of about your victory in 2025, especially after turning the final around against Aryna Sabalenka (6/7(5), 6/2, 6/4)? Did this match leave a big impression on you?

I am most proud of my grit during the match and not letting my losses from the past intimidate or discourage me, especially in moments when I was down. It was one I really wanted, and being able to turn the match around was huge for me. Mentally, yes, this match tested me more than any other because I had been in that position before and experienced tough losses. To push through that and lift the trophy is a moment I will always remember.

It seems that your childhood idols were Venus and Serena Williams. What inspired you most about them? Like them, do you want to be a role model for young women?

Venus and Serena changed the sport forever. They inspired young Black girls to chase their dreams, even when they stood out in their environment. They are icons who showed that dominance, confidence, and culture can all coexist on the court. And yes, I definitely want to be a positive rôle model so young girls feel empowered to pursue tennis or anything else they love. I hope young women can look up to me the same way I looked up to the Williams sisters. The sport is stronger when more girls see themselves

represented in it.

How important do you feel it is to continue your academic education? And if you hadn’t become a pro tennis player, what would you have done?

I really love learning and reading, and that’s always going to be important to me. I might not go back to school in the traditional sense, but I’m always learning on my own through expériences or the people around me. School has always given me balance and perspective outside of tennis. I want to continue growing mentally and personally, not just on the court. If I hadn’t become a pro tennis player, I most likely would have been an athlete still but maybe in basketball or track. But when I was super young, I wanted to be a marine biologist.

You’re only 22, but how would you like people to remember you once your career is over?

I want people to remember me as someone who’s authentic, a fighter, stands for community, has style on and off the court, stays true to herself, and hopefully inspires others to believe in themselves and chase their dreams.

And one final question, why are you called Coco and not Cori anymore?

Coco has been my nickname since I was little. It just stuck with friends and family, and then everyone else started calling me that too. My dad has the same name, just spelled differently.

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