Coco Gauff's close bond with her grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, was proven after she paid tribute to the WTA star.
Since she was a child, Gauff has had a few inspirations and role models. Some are family members, while others are athletes who have helped her in various ways.
The 20-year-old's biggest tennis inspirations were Serena Williams and Venus Williams. As a 15-year-old, Gauff played and defeated Venus during her breakthrough tournament at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
Serena and Venus helped Gauff cope with sticking out like a sore thumb when she was rising through the ranks in what has been and continues to be a predominantly white sport.
Gauff regularly mentions the role of her mother and father, praising them for allowing her to pursue a dream of playing tennis professionally rather than applying any pressure to go into a different area.
Last year's US Open champion has also spoken about Lee Odom's influence, and Gauff sometimes becomes the most emotional when discussing what she means to her.
During Gauff's run to the US Open title, the eight-time WTA title winner credited her grandmother as the most significant reason she is not afraid to advocate for various social and political causes.
"Yeah, I think she's probably "the" sole or one of the main reasons why I use my platform the way that I do and why I feel so comfortable speaking out."
Gauff's willingness to speak about important issues was one of the factors that led to Sportspro's ranking of the American as the most marketable tennis player in the world, finishing ahead of players like Novak Djokovic.
Although Gauff undoubtedly deserves the vast majority of the credit for her impressive achievements at such a young age, having such a loving and supportive family must have also helped.
The 2022 French Open runner-up's grandmother did not hide how proud she is of her granddaughter in a touching message, saying she was always destined for greatness and promised to stay proud as long as Gauff always tries as hard as she can.
"Yeah, I think she's probably "the" sole or one of the main reasons why I use my platform the way that I do and why I feel so comfortable speaking out."
"You know I’ve always said that because if you do your best, win or lose, I might not care if you win another match, you already made me proud. So always, do your best. Like your grandaddy said, 'Never say die.'"
Gauff gives her grandmother and family many reasons to be proud. She is not just a highly successful and decorated player already, but the 20-year-old also has a great attitude during matches that can inspire younger players watching.
This year's China Open champion sometimes has difficulties during matches, especially with her second serve, but that never stops Gauff from fighting courageously and digging out several victories when she is not feeling great on the court, which is a great trait to have.
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