Paris is known as the City of Lights, but it was Coco Gauff who shone brightly on Saturday when she celebrated her high school graduation in the French capital.
For the past four years, the American teenage star has been pursuing her school coursework from the Florida Virtual Flex program and taking education classes from the comfort of her home while simultaneously carving out a career path to the top of women's tennis.
This weekend, she officially celebrated her graduation by taking photos in her cap and gown in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris with her parents. She later shared them with the world on her Instagram account.
In the past, the 18-year-old spoke candidly about the challenges of juggling a career in professional tennis while staying active in learning, pointing out the different time zones she was in compared to that of her teachers because she consistently traveled all year.
"The time zones are tough when I have to do school. When I want to call my teachers, they're sleeping. Everything else has been easy to adjust to."
Paris is one of her favorite cities and one that brings her some fond memories. She won the Roland Garros junior title in 2018 by beating her good friend and former doubles partner Caty McNally. Twelve months ago, she made her deepest run at a Grand Slam in singles when she reached the quarterfinals there.
"Congrats on graduating high school, @cocogauff! 🎓After balancing her studies with a full schedule and travel on the Hologic WTA Tour, the 18-year-old celebrated in cap and gown in her favorite city while preparing for @rolandgarros."
This year, she arrives at the clay-court major as a Top 20 player and vastly experienced, which is quite unusual for a teenager. The draw has already been released, and the young American will begin her campaign against big-serving Canadian Rebecca Marino in the first round.
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