Coco Gauff has become the first American female teenager to reach back-to-back US Open quarterfinals since Serena Williams. Gauff, 19, reached her first US Open quarterfinal last year. On Sunday, Gauff defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3 3-6 6-1 to return to the quarterfinal at Flushing Meadows.
In 1999, a 17-year-old Williams became a Grand Slam champion at the US Open. The following year, Williams reached the US Open quarterfinal before losing to Lindsay Davenport. 23 years later, an American female teenager has made back-to-back US Open quarterfinals again.
Gauff on people wanting her to fill in the footsteps of Williams
Gauff came to the US Open in outstanding form and is considered among the top favorites for the title as some feel this may be the right moment for the 19-year-old to take the torch from Williams.
“Yeah, definitely… I do think there’s a slight pressure and everybody’s looking at me. It does put a little bit less pressure in a way because she is the greatest player of all time,” Gauff told PEOPLE.
Coco Gauff© Getty Images Sport – Elsa
Before the start of the tournament, tennis icon Martina Navratilova detailed why this year’s US Open edition might be the perfect time for Gauff to win the title and take the torch from Williams. “I think she’s ready to [receive] the torch but also I think she realizes that there’s some big shoes to fill…
The passing of the torch would be symbolically obviously going to Coco from Serena. She’s gonna be along with [top two seeds Aryna] Sabalenka and Swiatek. For me, she’s the number three favorite to win the tournament.
And with her confidence, maybe even slightly better than that, with the crowd behind her, I think it’s gonna be crazy,” Navratilova said of Gauff’s US Open chances before the start of the tournament. In the US Open quarterfinal, Gauff plays against Jelena Ostapenko.
