Imagine getting to connect with your childhood hero—Coco Gauff doesn’t have to. Years back, she was just a kid dancing to “Call Me Maybe” at the US Open during one of Venus Williams’ matches. Since then, she’s been vocal about how the Williams sisters, especially Serena, shaped her dreams. From Serena’s bold fashion to her relentless on-court intensity, Gauff was hooked. In a touching letter last year on the NBC Olympics site, she wrote, “Serena went from a poster on your wall to a friend and mentor—it still feels unreal.” Their bond highlights Serena’s towering legacy as a 23-time Grand Slam champion who broke barriers for Black American women in tennis. Now, Gauff beams with pride knowing she can text Serena whenever.
The tennis scene is heating up as the Sunshine Double approaches, with Gauff and her peers battling it out at Indian Wells for supremacy in the 1000-level events. Recently, the BNP Paribas Instagram team asked players to spill on their most famous contacts. Iga Swiatek dropped “Rafa,” Carlos Alcaraz name-checked Neymar, and Gauff? Predictably, “Probably Serena Williams.” With Serena widely regarded as the most iconic tennis figure beyond the ATP’s Big Three, it’s no shock she’s Gauff’s pick.
Even after hanging up her racket in 2022, Serena Williams remains a force. She melts hearts with sweet posts of her daughters, pushes her WYN brand, and makes bold moves with Serena Ventures. As of February 2025, her net worth sits at a staggering $340 million, landing her on Forbes’ “America’s Self-Made Women” list as the WTA’s most influential figure. For Gauff, having Serena in her phone? That’s the ultimate “wow” moment.
