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After Coco Gauff’s inspiring run to last year’s U.S. Open title, she’s drawing inspiration from another woman: Vice President Kamala Harris.
Gauff said it doesn’t matter who you’re voting for, or if you’re voting at all.
Speaking in a stadium named after Arthur Ashe and just a few hundred yards from a statue of Althea Gibson, she cited the candidacy of Harris — daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants — as a sign of racial progress.
“It’s really incredible. No matter who you’re voting for, who you stand for, it’s really incredible to see how far this country has come [for] people of color, black people,” Gauff said. “It’s really inspiring to see someone on that ballot. Honestly, it takes the works of many others to pave the way and I’m excited that I’m able to see this in my lifetime because I know many others didn’t get that chance to.”
Gauff met with former president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, on her way to winning last year’s U.S. Open, her first Grand Slam title.
That victory also led her to a brief congratulatory meeting with Harris, as well, though the 20-year-old would love a longer talk with Harris, seeking to become the first female U.S. president.
“It’s crazy to see how a person can be one of us and then become the president,” Gauff said. “I know her mother was an immigrant and … it’s crazy to see how a person can be one of us and then become the President of the United States — or Vice President of the United States.
“I’d ask her just her story, and what were the stepping stones to that point because I think at one point almost every kid said they were going to be the next President of the United States. … I’m sure there was a thought in my head at [4 or 5] that I’d be the next president or the Queen of England or something crazy like that.”
Instead, Gauff has had to “settle” for being the queen of the U.S. Open, crowned with last year’s victory that made her the first American teen to win since Serena Williams in 1999.
She’ll start her title defense versus Varvara Gracheva.
“Obviously coming in as defending champion is a little bit of pressure, but also more of a privilege because as my new motto is: If you defend, that means you won something before,” said Gauff, who has adopted a new mantra after seeing a recent comment on her TikTok. “It said, ‘You’ve won literally and figuratively; why stress yourself out over a victory lap?’
“I was like, that’s actually a good perspective. No one can take that from me, so why stress myself over something I already have? I’m just wanting to add to that. Whether it happens here in two weeks or next year here or at Australia or whatever, there’s no point. So I saw that three days ago and I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to stick by that and use that because it really changed my perspective coming into this.”
Gauff is coming into Flushing off an up and down year.
She reached the semifinals of the French and Australian Opens, but yelled at coach Brad Gilbert amid a teary fourth-round exit at Wimbledon.
She also lost her opener in Cincinnati, foes targeting her forehand to force errors.
But Gauff, under the microscope as “The Next Serena” since she was 15, said she’s taken comfort by athletes she met in the Paris Olympics (like triple-gold track star Gabby Thomas) helping her realize the stress she feels isn’t so isolated.
“You realize nerves are normal, the pressures are all normal,” Gauff said. “It doesn’t make them easier but I think it helps you know you’re not carrying the weight alone.”
Zheng Qinwen on motivating herself to Paris gold by watching videos of former hurdler Liu Xiang: “I got so much inspired because they put the music and the moment when he won, and champion, because he’s yellow-skinned, and it’s tough to beat the dark people in this sport because they are just genetic really well in the explosive sport.”
