Teen Tennis Phenom Coco Gauff Defeats Venus Williams Once Again at Australian Open
Tennis’ rising star is continuing her path of dominance.
Coco Gauff, 15, faced off against Venus Williams in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday, defeating the tennis veteran, 39, 7-6, 6-3.
The match marked Gauff’s first time competing in the main draw in Melbourne.
“I just want to say thank you guys, you guys were chanting my name and I only thought that would happen at the U.S. Open,” Gauff, of Florida, said to the crowd after the match, according to CNN. She added, “To hear that here in Australia means a lot to me.”
Monday’s match came just over six months after Gauff made her impressive debut at Wimbledon last summer, defeating her idol and five-time Wimbledon champion Williams.
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Besides beating Williams, Gauff also became the youngest player since 1991 to win in the first round of the ladies’ singles at Wimbledon.
Speaking to PEOPLE in August, the tennis star said that the transition to overnight sensation has come with some challenges.
RELATED: Coco Gauff Makes History! Teen Becomes Youngest Tennis Player in 15 Years to Reach WTA Final
“When I was younger, I was just dreaming about winning tournaments and winning slams I guess, and I didn’t think about all that would come with it,” she said. “So like, I guess I had time to mentally prepare for the winning but not necessarily the off the court.”
“But honestly, I’m just grateful that I’ve been given the platform and I hope that I’m able to use this platform in the right way,” Gauff added.
Gauff will play Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea in the second round on Tuesday.
