When Coco Gauff first met the tennis legend, she claimed to have thought she was seeing a Serena Williams stunt double.
World No. 3 Gauff has previously talked extensively about how her career has been influenced by Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, and Venus, Williams’ older sister.
Additionally, the 20-year-old talked candidly about her first encounter with the former world No. 1 in a video with Refinery29.
Gauff hilariously admitted that she initially mistook the approaching Serena for a body duplicate and did not realize it was the genuine one.
According to Gauff, Serena was actually filming a commercial at the same location where I was practicing. I thought it was a stunt double of her or something when I saw someone walking.
It appears that Serena is strolling over here, so I’m thinking, ‘That looks like her. I kind of ignored it until I realized it was her, at which point I became ecstatic.
She just came over to talk to me and give me advice.
The 2023 US Open champion also discussed how Serena has influenced her appearance throughout her career in the video.
I admire Serena, her appearance, her hair, and the fact that she never shied away from showcasing her curls or braids,” she continued.
I personally want my hair to be as varied as possible. I adore wearing my curls because they make you feel and look wonderful. It practically improves your performance. This week, Gauff will compete in the WTA Finals, which Serena won an astounding five times in her career.
In an attempt to improve on her run to the semi-final last year, the world No. 3 will be attending the year-end championships for the third time in a row and for the third time overall.
But in Riyadh, the American was given a challenging group.