Despite being among the TIME's Woman of the Year nominees, Coco Gauff admitted that she doesn't feel famous and considers herself a regular person.
The 19-year-old is one of the most recognizable faces in sports. She's known both in the United States and outside of the country, especially after winning her maiden Grand Slam trophy last year.
She's been part of the sport for many years before that, and her fan following steadily grew throughout the years. Despite being one of the faces of the sport and one of the best players on the WTA Tour right now, Gauff still considers herself a regular person.
That humble nature has always been there, and it hasn't changed, even with a crazy amount of success in recent years.
She finds it funny when people treat her extraordinarily because she doesn't see herself that way. She doesn't feel famous at all, even though she is quite famous, especially in the United States.
"I just don’t feel famous, I feel like a regular person. People approach me and I feel like they think I’m some extraordinary being and I’m not – I’m just a tennis player, and a person who tries to uplift the people around her. So many people in the world do that, not just famous people, also just regular humans in their communities. I don’t think [fame] makes me any different."
Winning the US Open was a huge achievement for her because it catapulted her into new heights. It's been a while since the United States had a Grand Slam winner, and many were glad it was Gauff.
She had positioned herself as the leader of American tennis in recent years, so her winning the major confirmed that. It didn't change her, though. She remains humble and dedicated to working and improving so she can win a few more in the future.
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