As the 2025 Wimbledon Championships kick off on June 30, Coco Gauff steps onto the hallowed grass courts of the All England Club with a renewed sense of purpose. The 21-year-old American, now ranked world No. 2, is chasing her first Wimbledon title, fueled by the memory of her breakout moment six years ago when, at just 15, she stunned her idol, Venus Williams, in a first-round upset. “I’ve grown a lot,” Gauff reflected, her voice carrying the weight of experience. “I think that moment for me was the start of believing that maybe my dreams could come true… honestly, out of all the matches that I’ve won, I think that’s the one that still feels the most fake, if that makes sense.”
In 2019, Gauff, then the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon’s Open Era history, electrified the tennis world by defeating the five-time champion Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 on No. 1 Court. The victory, a dazzling display of poise and power, marked the arrival of a prodigy. “I was just telling her thank you for everything she’s done for the sport,” Gauff said after the match, her respect for Williams evident as they shook hands at the net. That moment, witnessed by a roaring crowd, propelled Gauff to global stardom, with her fourth-round run captivating fans and earning her comparisons to legends like Serena Williams, another of her idols. Her journey from a wildcard qualifier to a household name was cemented in just 79 minutes, a feat that still feels surreal to her. “I had so much belief,” she recalled. “I feel now I’ve regained that belief in myself.”
Gauff’s 2025 Wimbledon campaign begins against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, a formidable opponent who reached the Nottingham Open final earlier this month. As the No. 2 seed, Gauff faces a challenging path, with potential clashes against two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in the second round and world No. 4 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals. Despite her 24-11 grass-court record and never advancing past the fourth round at Wimbledon, Gauff’s recent triumphs— including her 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open titles—have bolstered her confidence. Her victory over Aryna Sabalenka at Roland Garros, where she became the first American woman to win since Serena Williams in 2015, has positioned her as a favorite to complete the rare “Channel Slam” by conquering Wimbledon. “I feel like I’m more similar at 21 to 15-year-old me than when I was coming here at 18 or 17,” she said, highlighting her rediscovered “child-like confidence.”
Gauff’s journey is deeply rooted in her admiration for the Williams sisters, who inspired her to pick up aлика
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