It’s a good thing that 15-year-old, rising high-school sophomore Cori “Coco” Gauff is homeschooled. It just wouldn’t be fair to compare summer vacations with the other kids.
Because Coco’s summer was unlike any other. It was a fairytale.
A wildly precocious tennis phenom who was the youngest-ever No. 1 junior in the world, Gauff received a wild card to enter the qualifying rounds at Wimbledon. By winning three matches in convincing fashion, including over the top seed, 92nd-ranked Aliona Bolsova, the Floridian became the youngest female to qualify for Wimbledon’s main draw.
But that was only the beginning for Gauff. In the opening round, her debut at a Slam, Gauff faced one of her idols, Venus Williams, the five-time Wimbledon champion. Displaying an uncommon maturity and cool confidence in her first appearance on Centre Court, Coco defeated her elder in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Gauff went on to topple two solid grass-court players, Magdalena Rybarikova (a 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist) and Polona Hercog. Coco became an overnight international sensation. The youngster made it to the second week, but her streak ended in the fourth round against eventual champion Simona Halep.
Suddenly tennis pundits and fans were no longer talking about the future. For many, the future had arrived in the form of the 15-year-old Floridian.
After her attention-getting run at Wimbledon, Coco got the opportunity to meet another superstar this summer: Michelle Obama. “Thrilled to visit with @CocoGauff today,” wrote the former First Lady on Twitter. “A wonderful young woman who’s showing us that we don’t have to wait to see what the next generation can do.
Coco responded like the teen she is, in all caps: “SPEECHLESS.”
“Today I got to meet my idol. Her words and wisdom on my journey will stay with me on the court over the course of my career,” wrote Gauff. “She is a true inspiration. I have never arrived, I am always becoming!”
Gauff’s spectacular summer isn’t over yet. She enters the US Open—where she was a junior finalist in 2017 as a 13-year-old—with a wild card for the main draw. It will be just her second professional major.
Gauff comes from elite athletic pedigree. Both her parents were accomplished college athletes: Dad, Corey, in basketball, and Mom, Candi, in track and field. Coco picked up a racquet at age six and by eight had already won one of the nation’s most prestigious junior tournaments, the “Little Mo” Nationals.
Gauff entered the Patrick Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France (where the director is Serena Williams’ longtime coach) at the age of 10. She won the French Open junior title at 14.
At 15, Gauff is a pro, no longer a project in development. She seems to possess all the skills and athleticism required to reach the pinnacle of the sport. The 5-foot-10 teen can bang big serves. She is solid off both wings, with good power and touch, and tactically sound beyond her chronological years.
But perhaps more important than raw skills is her mentality. Gauff demonstrates a decidedly un-teen-like maturity and poise on court. She knows when to unfurl big shots, when to lob rather than go for an outright winner. She knows when to rally patiently. And, belying her age, she is extremely focused, unrattled by pressure situations.
For now, though, the 15-year-old’s presence on tour is limited by WTA age-eligibility rules, which dictate that players under the age of 18 can play no more than 12 tournaments a year. The age-eligibility rule continues to be fiercely debated; even Roger Federer told the WTA he thought it was a disservice to the likes of Gauff. But those in favor of the rule believe strongly that it can forestall injury and burnout.
Gauff wishes she was not sidelined by the age-eligibility rule, but she sees nothing but progress ahead. “Always dream big, and don’t let anyone limit your dreams because the possibilities are endless,” Gauff said earlier this summer.
After her sensational Wimbledon run, Coco has come back to earth. In her only tournament since, she won two rounds of qualifying at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C. but lost in the opening round. However, Gauff did capture her first WTA title, winning the doubles crown alongside fellow American teen Catherine McNally.
Propelled by her Wimbledon run, Coco has rocketed from a ranking of 875 to 140.
“If she’s not No. 1 in the world by 20, I will be absolutely shocked,” John McEnroe told the BBC. Plenty of people—pretty much anyone who has seen her play—are predicting great things for Gauff.
And that includes Coco herself.
When she was all of 12 years old, she told ESPN, “I want to be the greatest of all time.”
