This weekend, Coco Gauff became the youngest American player to win the U.S. Open since Serena Williams in 1999.
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Despite starting her professional career just five years ago at 14 years old, Gauff’s journey to becoming Grand Slam champion has been far from easy. From a young age, Gauff faced multiple high-ranking players on the court, many of whom were personal heroes. While some of these matches ended in triumph, others ended in defeat, causing some to question how far Gauff’s career would go. Now on a 12-match winning streak, the 19-year-old expressed nothing but gratitude for those who doubted her abilities.
“Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me,” Gauff said moments after winning her first Grand Slam title. “Like a month ago, I won a 500 title, and people said I would stop at that. Two weeks ago, I won a 1000 title, and people were saying that was the biggest I was going to get. So three weeks later, I’m here with this trophy right now.”
She added, “So honestly, to those who thought [they] were putting water on my fire, you’re really adding gas to it. And now I’m really burning so bright right now.”
Following Gauff’s “mic drop” moment, social media users began sharing the tennis phenomenon’s analogy across platforms. But while many are admiring the confident and inspirational stance of Gauff’s words on Saturday, she’s not new to this positive thinking game; she’s true to it. Here is a list of other vision board-worthy quotes from the 2023 US Open champion:
- “At the end of the day, the impact that I leave on another person is probably going to be bigger than any trophy that I win.” Gauff told Elle in 2021.
- “You need to use your voice. No matter how big or small your platform is, you need to use your voice,” said Gauff in a speech during a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest.
- “Never put a limit on your dreams. Every time you break through a big obstacle, you pave the way for other dreamers to succeed,” Gauff wrote on Twitter.
- “I don’t think I’m going to change the world. I’m not delusional, but I think [my platform] could change some people in the world,” Gauff said in an interview with the Guardian in 2022.
- “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice,” said Gauff in a 2021 campaign with Barilla.
- “Your results – even in life in general – or your job or how much money you make doesn’t define you as a person. So just know that if you love yourself, who cares what anyone else thinks,” said Gauff, at the 2022 French Open.
- “We live, we learn, but most importantly, we keep trying,” said Gauff in an Instagram caption.
- “When I leave this world, I don’t want to be remembered as just being good at tennis. I want to be remembered as a good person and a good advocate,” Gauff told ESPN in 2022.
Haniyah Philogene is a multimedia storyteller and Lifestyle reporter covering all things culture. With a passion for digital media, she goes above and beyond to find new ways to tell and share stories.
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