Google News Marion Bartoli addresses Coco Gauff winning US Open after Serena Williams' retirement
by DZEVAD MESIC
Marion Bartoli thinks Coco Gauff winning the US Open a year after Serena Williams' retirement is "a fairytale story" and also tipped the 19-year-old American for much more Grand Slam success. A year after Williams' ended her pro tennis career at the US Open, Gauff became the first American teenager since Williams in 1999 to win the US Open.
Gauff, who grew up watching and idolizing Williams, achieved her biggest tennis goal in the same venue where her idol became a Slam champion 24 years ago. “I think there’s just a fairytale story. It looks so much like walking in the footsteps of Serena – of course it’s a big gap between winning one and winning 23 But I just think she has a complete package.
She thinks like a 30-year-old even though she’s 19. The physicality and the fitness is just incredible," Bartoli said on the latest episode of Tennis Majors' "Match Points." Gauff, who will be turning 20 in March, has been backed by Bartoli to lift more Grand Slam titles before retiring.
“Multiple Grand Slam winner and number one in the world, absolutely without a doubt. She’s so driven and she wants that so much," Bartoli said.
Gauff paid tribute to Williams
Moments after becoming a Grand Slam champion, Gauff remembered Serena and Venus Williams in a touching tribute.
“Yes, it's crazy. I mean, they're the reason why I have this trophy today, to be honest. They have allowed me to believe in this dream, you know, growing up. You know, there wasn't too many just Black tennis players dominating the sport.
It was literally, at that time when I was younger, it was just them that I can remember. Obviously, more came because of their legacy. So it made the dream more believable. But all the things that they had to go through, they made it easier for someone like me to do this," Gauff said after winning the US Open.