‘Call Me Coco Champion’
I couldn’t have been happier or prouder this afternoon as I watched 19-year-old Coco Gauff win her first Grand Slam at the US Open.
It was merely a matter of time before Coco Gauff won a Grand Slam title. … Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus on Saturday, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, shrugging off a shaky start and making all the right adjustments to slowly assert control of the match. With the win, Gauff became the third American teenager to win the US Open women’s final, joining Tracy Austin in 1979 and Serena Williams in 1999.
(USA Today, September 9, 2023)
Serena’s heir or another one-slam wonder?
You’d be hard-pressed to find any sports analyst who does not think she’s the heir to Serena, winner of a record 23 Grand Slams. I’m not so sure.
For starters, she’s running two years behind Serena. Serena was 17 when she won her first Grand Slam at this very tournament. Moreover, tennis history is replete with one-slam wonders who held similar promise.
Indeed, sports analysts hailed Sloan Stephens and Emma Raducanu in a similar fashion after they won this tournament. Each has yet to win another Grand Slam.
A Tale of Two Champions
Even so, there’s no denying Coco’s promise. Her athleticism and grace rival Serena’s. But even Serena must marvel at her poise – on and off the court. Coco displayed this serenely when a reporter asked about the environmental protesters who interrupted her semifinal match for nearly an hour.
Instead of voicing anger at their stunt, Coco
- acknowledged their right to protest,
- expressed appreciation that they were nonviolent, and
- laughed with gratitude that they did not cost her the match.
By contrast, Serena was notorious for her temper tantrums – on and off the court. iPINIONS suspects every reporter can recall an occasion when she responded to a question with unbridled contempt.
But every fan can undoubtedly recall when she threatened to “shove this tennis ball down your f*cking throat.” She thought a lineswoman had missed a call. Serena was wrong — in both respects.
It’s also worth considering the unprecedented stress Coco is under. I need only cite how it derailed the career of Naomi Osaka, another purported Serena heir.
By contrast, Serena just had to play. But Coco can’t “Just do it.” Social media demands she be an influencer too.
Not Just A Tennis Star, A Cultural Icon
Winning isn’t everything. Now, you must personify a billion-dollar brand and become a cultural icon, aka the GOAT. Serena played the game on and off the court better than any player in tennis history. Yet even she fell short.
Yes, Coco is now a winner. And she has already emulated Serena by gracing the cover of Vogue. So, she’s well on her way to building that brand and becoming that icon. The world is her oyster. But 22 more Grand Slams are a world away.
Then again, she can’t even drink legally. Yet. So here’s to Coco seizing this opportunity in ways that would make even her idol, Serena, look ordinary.
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