With an amazing 51-15 record, titles in Washington, Auckland, and Cincinnati, and, of course, her heart-stopping performance at the US Open—her first-ever grand slam victory—Coco Gauff is, hands down, one of the athletes who’s had an outstanding year.
And, owing to her latest feats, the world saw her rise to the No. 3 spot in the WTA rankings, behind only World No. 1 Polish player Iga Swiatek and World No. 2 Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka.
And naturally, as the spotlight turned to her, the 19-year-old has garnered praise from all over the globe for her athleticism on court, even eliciting nods from tennis icons Billie Jean King, Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer, and, of course, her idol, Serena Williams.
Johnson on Gauff
Billie Jean King: “That Coco won was just amazing. When I see her, she’s the reason we fought so hard 50 years ago. She is truly fantastic for our sport, and I think she is a huge force..She’s really exciting to watch, and she’s a great athlete.”
Maria Sharapova: “I have been saying for years that I think she has the ability to transcend the sport into so many [areas], bridging entertainment, sport and culture, and fashion.”
Roger Federer: Been watching your 🎾 and following you for years. It’s great to see so much hard work and passion being rewarded.
You shine brighter than ever🌟
Inspirational win @CocoGauff 🎉,
Been watching your 🎾 and following you for years. It’s great to see so much hard work and passion being rewarded.
You shine brighter than ever🌟#TEAM8 pic.twitter.com/BmtEnOz9O0— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) September 10, 2023
Serena Williams took to her Instagram to congratulate Gauff for her first grand slam win at the US Open, writing, ““Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!! @cocogauff,”
Michael Johnson adds to the list
But beyond the tennis realm, Gauff’s magnificent play on court has also been lauded by many prominent figures, the latest of which is Michael Johnson, who’s a four-time gold Olympic medalist and eight-time World Champion American sprinter.
On X, Johnson shared a video of Coco Gauff’s latest performance at the WTA finals. The camera was solely focused on the young tennis star as she sparred intensely with Czech tennis player Markéta Vondroušová in Cancun.
Impressed, Johnson captioned it with “The athleticism here is ridiculous. And this doesn’t even show the skill!
The athleticism here is ridiculous. And this doesn’t even show the skill! https://t.co/ZHpXo1D3C9
— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) November 10, 2023
Numerous fans also agreed with Johnson in the comments section, stating the Gauff was indeed the real deal.
One fan stated, “This video shows the effort it takes to play top level tennis. Also, the skill at being able to hit with such force and keep the ball in play. Coco is the real deal.”
Another fan also noted her remarkable progress over the years, “It’s so awesome to have watched her develop over the years. She keeps getting better. Serena vibes!”
Cover Photo: YouTube