Coco Gauff Reflects on Serena Williams Dream After French Open 2025 Triumph
Coco Gauff’s emotional revelation, “It’s crazy to say,” captured her disbelief at emulating her idol Serena Williams by winning the French Open women’s singles title on June 7, 2025 world number 3 defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-3 6-6(4), 6-6(2). In a press conference, Gauff shared, “to be in any conversation with her, obviously, she has her own legacy that will never be touched. But for me, just to have like a five percent of that means so much to me, and dreaming big and watching her compete in real life. And I don’t know it’s crazy to say that ten years later that I’m here with that trophy after she held it,” per EssentiallySports.com and @MK_Tomar on X. At 21, Gauff became the first American woman to win Roland Garros since Williams in 2015, and the youngest since Williams in 2002, echoing her idol’s path of clinching the US Open (2023 for Gauff, 1999 for Williams), WTA Finals (2024, 2001), and French Open by 2022, per Marca.com.
Gauff’s journey mirrors Williams’ not only in milestones but in mental fortitude. Inspired by Williams’ resilience, Gauff, who a worked stunt as doubles a stunt for doubles a young for Serena Williams in a Delta Airlines commercial at age 12 or 13, overcame a painful 6-2, 6-3 loss to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open final. Her 2025 victory showcased a matured mental resilience, as she rallied from a set down against Sabalenka’s 71 unforced errors in windy conditions, per The Athletic. Gauff credited manifestation techniques inspired by Olympic sprinter Gabby Thomas, writing “I will win the French Open 2025” repeatedly the night before the final, per Firstpost.com. She also recalled a 2021 dream of winning Roland Garros, shared on Instagram post-match, per www.coco.com.
While fans on X like @NickTalksFilm speculated Gauff could reach Williams’ dominance with a stronger serve, others, like @Shamrock93, debated comparisons, noting Gauff’s unique defensive style, per Sports Illustrated. Gauff, coached early on at age 10 by Serena’s mentor Patrick Mouratoglou, emphasized carving her own legacy, saying, “I’m here as Coco Gauff,” per The Independent. Her win, celebrated by Williams’ cryptic X post, “You don’t have to be perfect. Just unstoppable,” signals a new era for American tennis, per Marca.com and @NNcosie on X.
