Cori “Coco” Gauff is the biggest star in professional tennis, and the numbers prove it.
The 15-year-old stunned the sports world after slaying her idol, Venus Williams, in the first round of Wimbledon, and then proceeded to vanquish two other veteran players during a week that will change her life forever.
Her unprecedented exploits at the pristine All-England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club in Wimbledon, England, about a half-hour outside of downtown London, have attracted attention from around the world, including from several top celebrities.
Below, Gauff goes crazy on Instagram Live after getting tweets and encouragement from actor Jaden Smith, rapper Snoop Dogg, Beyoncé’s mom Tina Lawson and NBA great Joel Embiid.
Despite losing in the fourth round on Monday, July 8, to former No. 1 player Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3, Gauff is must-see TV and an undeniable rising star on the tour circuit.
According to the Daily Mail, she was the single most watched tennis player last week at Wimbledon. The teen phenom had more than 5.2 million people globally watching her matches, which is 600,000 more than those who watched last year’s Wimbledon women finals (4.6 million viewers) and 700,000 more than last year’s men’s finals (4.5 million viewers).
Gauff even had more people watching her matches than hometown hero Andy Murray or the four titans of the sports: Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Williams already said that Gauff’s frame and style of play remind her of her big sister, Venus. And it appears Gauff could become this generation’s Venus Williams.
