Junior glory propelled Gauff to Paris heights

It was a triumph that has stuck in the American’s heart and mind ever since, returning to her thoughts on Friday, June 6, the evening before the RG 2025 women’s singles final.

Erasing the heartbreak from an emphatic RG 2022 final loss at the hands of Iga Swiatek, Gauff turned the tables this time with a compelling 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 victory over world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.

“It felt very similar,” Gauff told a select group of reporters in Paris. “That was a three-set final win too, having to comeback. I remember not playing that great in that match either.

“I did actually think about that last night before this match, I thought of the mentality I had in that final is what I need to bring today.

“As much as sometimes you think juniors doesn’t matter, or that it’s so far in the past, I was able to recount an experience from that. It just goes to show you can learn from literally every match that you play in your life.

“I never thought I’d need that final today, but it helped me mentally.”

The world No.2 is clearly a deep thinker and takes influences from all sorts of avenues, whether it’s across different cultures, sports or from a plethora of public figures.

Rewind to the Paris 2024 Olympics and American 200m gold medalist Gabby Thomas revealed she wrote ‘I will be the Olympic champion,” multiple times on paper to manifest her magic moment.

It’s a mental exercise Gauff took up in preparation for her final duel on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

“I was on TikTok last night and I saw an interview with Gabby Thomas, she said she wrote that,” explained the US Open 2023 champion.

“I remember it at the time, but it came up on my feed again and I don’t know, I just thought this is meant to be. Why is this video of her interviewing from the Olympics coming up now?

“She said she wrote it 50, or 500 times, something crazy. I had this little hotel pad and I said I’m gonna write it as many times as I can fit it, then I’m done.

“I was looking at myself in the mirror, saying it, trying to instil it in my brain, that belief.

“It worked! It’s great mindset that she had. Did I win because of that? I’m going to say that I did!”

The 21-year-old is the first American woman to be crowned the singles winner in Paris since a certain Serena Williams (2015) and the youngest representing the stars and stripes since Williams in 2002.

Gauff – just like Serena – has grown up in the public eye, has evolved into a role model herself. As always for Coco, there is the bigger picture to consider.

“In general, with my career, knowing how much Serena meant to me... Obviously, I’m not going to have the same impact as her, but even a quarter impact that she had, that’s still a lot of people,” added the two-time major champion.

“My biggest goal would be to have someone start to play professional tennis because of me. Just being that representation, also knowing it’s a decade since she won here, is so crazy to hear that stat. I’m really proud and I hope that maybe sooner someone can say they did well because of me.”

The generational talent often reflects on leading hopes for future athletes of colour, for using her platform for good. It never seems a burden, Gauff has spoken maturely and respectfully on a multitude of topics ever since launching onto the global scene in 2019.

“Before and after matches is when I feel that weight. During them I just get the ball in the court,” admitted the world No.2.

“Honestly, in tough moments, I just think of how many people are proud of me regardless of the result, if I walk with the trophy or the plate.

“I thought about that on court during the final. There’s some negativity in the world, but the positivity always outweighs that. I know I have that support and whatever happened, I wanted people watching me to know that I was genuinely trying my best.”

Next stop for Coco is the grass, which is where she shot into the limelight at Wimbledon six years ago, by taking out one of her idols Venus Williams as a 15-year-old prodigy.

‘I love London, it’s one of my favourite cities in the world. I’m really looking forward to Wimbledon.”