The unusually mature 18-year-old arrives at Wimbledon on top form and unafraid to speak about the big subjects outside tennis
Sat 25 Jun 2022 20.00 BST, qualifying for the main draw of a grand slam for the first time, knocking out Venus Williams in the first round and making it all the way to the last 16. This year, she arrives at Wimbledon with a career-high ranking of 12, fresh from reaching her first grand slam final at the French Open, with many tipping her to go one further.
“I’m thankful for the platform that I have and I know how many people that it reaches. I’m aware of that. So I try to make sure I use it to speak out about issues that can maybe slightly change some things. You know, I don’t think I’m going to change the world. I’m not delusional, but I think it could change some people in the world.”
Coco Gauff in action against Sloane Stephens in the quarter-final of the French Open, where Gauff reached her first grand slam final.Gauff was touched by King’s words. “I probably wouldn’t even have the opportunity to play, at least [not] to the extent that I am playing, if it wasn’t for her and the other Original 9,” she says of the group of womenof the WTA Tour. “So I’m super thankful to get a shout out from her.
“I don’t really care about the praise or the backlash,” she said. “Obviously there was some backlash. People are like: ‘Oh, what’s one message going to change anything?’ And I mean, I understand me writing on the camera isn’t going to change or stop gun violence from happening. But it’s all about getting the message out there and getting to the people in office who have the actual power to change this.
At 18, Gauff is one of the youngest players toward the top of the game but it seems she was born to lead, whether that be on the court or off it. It is a mantle she is not frightened of and, in fact, actively embraces.
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