Yep, she just did that. During her Wimbledon debut on Monday, 15-year-old American Cori "Coco" Gauff took on Venus Williams and shocked viewers worldwide when she beat the tennis superstar 6-4 during the first round at the All England Club. Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion, was stunned by Gauff's performance and congratulated the young athlete [1] after the match. "Congratulations, keep going, and good luck," Williams told Gauff, according to BBC.
The 15-year-old athlete later revealed that Williams is one of her biggest inspirations and that she "wouldn't be [at Wimbledon] if it wasn't for her." Williams wasn't the only one who was proud of Gauff's impressive win. "My parents will be super happy; my dad was jumping up every time I won a point," Gauff said. "I'm so happy they spent all their time on me and my brothers and making sure we're successful."
Gauff, a student from Delray Beach, FL, is the twelfth youngest player overall in the Wimbledon main draw and the youngest to come through qualifying. In early 2019, she became the youngest female player to win a Grand Slam qualifying match in the French Open. "I don't really know how to feel, this is the first time I've cried after a match — after winning," Gauff added at the end of her match against Williams. "I never thought this would happen. I'm literally living my dream right now." See photos from the intense match and footage of Gauff's parents reacting to her exciting win ahead.
