"I lost it somewhere" - Coco Gauff opens up about Wimbledon debut against Venus Williams & how she regained her 'belief'

Coco Gauff recently opened up about the experience of her Wimbledon debut against Venus Williams in 2019. The American is currently gearing up to compete in Wimbledon 2025, which is slated to commence on June 30 and will conclude on July 13.

Gauff was last seen in action at the Grass Court Championships, where she experienced a shocking early exit from the first round of the tournament. She was defeated by Wang Xiyu, who advanced to the second round with a score of 6-3, 6-3. She is currently preparing for Wimbledon and will be competing there next on July 1 against Dayana Yastremska.

Gauff made her Wimbledon debut in 2019, where she bested the seven-time Grand Slam champion, Venus Williams, in the first round with a score of 6-4, 6-4. The 21-year-old recently reflected on her debut performance against Williams at her recent pre-match interview, stating that after that match, she started believing her dreams could come true. Talking about her confidence and how the match affected her teenage years, she said:

"Yeah, I've grown a lot. I think, you know, that moment for me was like the start of believing that into my dreams could come true. And yeah, I mean, that still feels crazy, still feels like a dream. And honestly, I guess that a world of matches that I've won, I think that's the one that still feels the most fake, if that makes sense. I feel like now I kind of rethink that belief in myself. I feel like I lost it somewhere along the way between like 15 and 19. I feel like now I still have like that childlike confidence and also just approaching the game, just having so much fun. Like I'm like really have to be there," said Coco Gauff (via Wimbledon on X).

When Coco Gauff opened up about the biggest lesson she learned from Serena Williams

In an interview in 2022, ahead of the US Open, Coco Gauff opened up about how much Serena Williams meant to her. She stated that Williams was the ideal symbol of excellence for young Black girls in the sport and commended her for the way she handles herself.

"Before Serena Williams came along, there was not really an icon of the sport that looked like me... So growing up, I never thought that I was different because the No. 1 player in the world was somebody who looked like me," Coco Gauff said (via BBC).

She added:

"It's just the way that she handles herself — she never puts herself down... I love that she always elevates herself. Sometimes being a woman, a Black woman in the world, you settle for less. I feel like Serena taught me that, from watching her, she never settled for less. I can't remember a moment in her career or life that she settled for less."

Coco Gauff recently won the 2025 French Open, where she bested Aryna Sabalenka in the finals to lift the trophy.