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Former American player Jill Craybas recently talked about Venus and Serena Williams' influence on Coco Gauff's tennis success so far.
On a recent episode of the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, Craybas discussed how the Williams sisters' positive influence impacted the rise of Gauff, who is currently ranked World No. 3. They had not only boosted the 19-year-old's confidence but also enabled her to express herself more openly and to "shine" on the tennis court.
Craybas emphasized that both Venus and Serena Williams have been instrumental in Gauff's ability to inspire and guide the younger generation, despite her young age, in realizing and achieving their tennis dreams.
"I mean, Coco Gauff talks about it all the time, how much of idols they were to her, and look at her now, like she has been able to let herself shine and be open. And she's so well spoken. Now she's at such a young age, having that impact on the younger generation that is coming up now, and she's still very young herself," Craybas said (at 24:33).
Jill Craybas emphasized that the Williams sisters have had a significant influence on the Black community and society as a whole as well, inspiring individuals to pursue a professional tennis career by demonstrating that it is an attainable goal for them as well.
"But how much that you can see, that line just keeps going, and that did for Coco Gauff in particular, starting with the Williams sisters 100% and how much impact that they have had. But again it's being able to tap into a society that weren't necessarily tennis fans to begin with. But follow them and watch them and want to be like them, and that has a huge impact," she added.
Coco Gauff on the impact of Venus and Serena Williams on her career: "They have allowed me to believe in this dream, growing up"
During a press conference following her maiden Grand Slam title win at the 2023 US Open, Coco Gauff expressed her gratitude towards Venus and Serena Williams for their impact on her career. She acknowledged that it was the Williams sisters who instilled within her unwavering courage and ignited the dream to pursue tennis during her formative years.
As a young black girl, Gauff recognized the scarcity of black tennis players within the tennis circuit, making the Williams sisters' achievements all the more impactful.
“Yes, it's crazy. I mean, they're the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest. They have allowed me to believe in this dream, you know, growing up. You know, there wasn't too many just black tennis players dominating the sport. It was literally, at that time when I was younger, it was just them that I can remember,” Gauff said.
The World No. 3 expressed that the impact of the Williams sisters' legacy has led to a significant rise in African-American participation in tennis. Coco Gauff also acknowledged that Venus and Serena Williams have paved the way and made it easier for players like herself to pursue tennis.
“Obviously, more came because of their legacy. So it made the dream more believable. But all the things that they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this,” she added.
