The 19-year-old is having a fantastic year!
It’s a journey that began just four years ago when 15-year-old Coco Gauff stunned the world by defeating Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon. The youngest qualifier in the Open Era, Gauff’s talent was a harbinger of the stage she was destined to grace. In a recent interview with Vogue, she reflected on her meteoric rise, her battle with perfection, and the fame that has come her way.
“Sometimes I do have to remind myself of the things I’ve accomplished. I think, just, my heart – you always want more. Even when I watch those videos at the US Open, I say, ‘Man, I want to keep replicating that feeling’…It is a high that you do chase,” Gauff told Vogue.
Gauff trades in her skorts for a beautiful golden gown by Michael Kors, captured by iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz for the cover. Currently the world’s No. 3 women’s player, she is fresh off the Dubai Tennis Championships as she preps for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Last month, she was also named one of TIME’s 2024 Women of the Year, becoming one of the youngest to receive the honor, just ahead of her 20th birthday this March. Gauff said as she comes into her own as an adult, she’s working to retrain that perfection bug that’s been gnawing at her for so long.
“By theory you’re always striving for more, because you’re never going to be perfect…I’m trying to do more of, you know, accepting the good shots. And giving myself as much of a compliment as I do a critique,” said Gauff.
Yet, in our eyes, Gauff is already perfect. As the highest-paid female athlete, she is not just winning on the court but also breaking barriers in a sport that is in dire need of diversity. She stands tall as one of the youngest American women to win the U.S. Open, a beacon of hope for Black girls worldwide. As Gauff continues to amass trophies and victories, we eagerly anticipate the next chapter in her journey, knowing that she has already achieved more than enough for herself and for the little girls who look up to her.
Cover photo: Tennis Phenom Coco Gauff Graces The Cover of Vogue Magazine/Coco Gauff, Vogue, April 2024/Photo credit: Annie Leibovitz/Vogue