Coco Gauff is still a teenager, after all, and so it should surprise no one that she was on her phone in the locker room, scrolling through social media, right up until 10 minutes before heading out on court for the U.S. Open final.
The US Open is a stage where young tennis stars are born and Coco Gauff is making her presence well known while representing for black women in the sport.
Away from a tennis court, Coco Gauff is still, in some ways, a typical teen, rolling her eyes at receiving FaceTime calls from a younger sibling — “I’m at press right now, Bro” — and her father — “Oh, my God” — while two versions of the DC Open trophy she earned Sunday sat on the table in front of her.
On Friday, Tennis star Serena Williams lost to Ajla Tomljanović of Australia in three sets, putting an end to what could be her last run in the U.S. Open. Williams reached the third round after defeating Danka Kovinić in straight sets during the first round and upsetting the second-ranked Anett Kontaveit during the second.
Serena Williams dominated the decade, on the court and in conversation. There were, to begin with, the dozen Grand Slam single titles _ no other woman had more than three over the past 10 seasons _ and the 3 1/2 years in a row at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. And then there was the celebrity status that transcended tennis, making everything she did and said newsworthy, whether it was the triumphs and trophies and fashion statements or the disputes with tournament officials, the magazine covers or the Super Bowl ad with a message about women’s power, the birth
Notes, quotes and things picked on the run from coast-to-coast and all the stops in between and beyond.