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Cori 'Coco' Gauff took up tennis at the age of seven because she was inspired by the Williams sisters.
Key points:
- 15-year-old Cori 'Coco' Gauff is ranked 313 in the world
- She beat her childhood idol Venus Williams and Magdalena Rybarikova at Wimbledon
- The American teen is expected to earn $1 million in endorsements this year
Eight years later, she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon.
Her astonishing 6-4, 6-4 victory against her childhood hero brought the schoolgirl to tears, but Williams — once a teen prodigy herself — offered her congratulations at the net.
"The sky's the limit. It really is," Williams said of Gauff's future.
The 15-year-old is the youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon, after receiving a wildcard offer.
And after beating Williams, she became the youngest player since 1991 to win a main draw match at the All England Club.
On Thursday, she proved her victory over Williams was anything but a fluke when she defeated 2017 semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3.
"I think I can beat anyone," Gauff said at a media conference after the game.
Crowds who didn't know her name last week are now chanting "Come on Cori" between points.
In a year where huge crowds have come to Wimbledon to see some of the all-time greats in the final years of their careers, fans have been delighted by Gauff's remarkable rise.
Laquita Mitchell and Julias P Williams III were overjoyed to secure a ticket for Serena Williams, the champion who paved the way for young black women like Gauff.
"Praise God for that!" Ms Mitchell said.
"I have to say that since Serena and Venus came out … you see fathers out there with their daughters and their racquets. It's a big deal," Mr Williams told the ABC.
Laquita Mitchell was moved to see Gauff emerge as a potential successor to the Williams sisters.
"Fifteen years old, amazing. I hope that she can keep up momentum," Ms Mitchell said.
"At that age, anything is possible."
Tennis fans Edna and Cliff Burems came to Wimbledon from Los Angeles to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, also hoping to see Serena Williams.
They have been stunned by Gauff's success, and will now be following the 15-year-old's trajectory.
"She's very promising, we'll just keep her eye on her — she's the one to watch," Ms Burems said.
"A lot of talent, and I'm sure if there's a development she'll be one of the top players, for some time, too," Mr Burems said.
Who is Coco Gauff?
Gauff was born in March 2004 to Corey Gauff, a former college basketball star, and Candi Gauff, a track and field athlete.
She grew up in Atlanta, but the family moved to Florida so she could follow her dream of playing professional tennis.
At the age of 10, she caught the eye of Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who invited her to his training academy in the south of France.
"A lot of top, top players have great games but they're not champions because they don't have the x-factor. She does," Mr Mouratoglou said at Wimbledon this week.
At just 12 years old, Gauff declared that she wanted to be the greatest tennis player of all time.
She was the youngest United States Open junior girls finalist in history at age 13, and the second youngest French Open junior girls champion at age 14.
However, being a teen tennis prodigy comes with some challenges.
She has to keep up with her education, so she is home-schooled by her mother and must take virtual classes while travelling.
Just days before her match against Venus Williams, Gauff had to sit a science exam.
The World Tennis Association restricts the number of games a child can play, so Gauff can only play five more pro events before her 16th birthday.
She has already earned at least $197,000 from this tournament, and Forbes estimates she will earn an additional $1 million in endorsements this year.
On Saturday, she will move into the third round to play Slovenia's Polona Hercog, ranked 60th in the world.
Wimbledon legend John McEnroe told the BBC that regardless of the outcome of the match, Gauff is a star on the rise.
"I look at the way she plays … if she's not number one in [the] world by 20, I will be absolutely shocked," he said.
Topics: sport, tennis, international-competitions, human-interest, united-kingdom, united-states
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