Cori “Coco” Gauff, the 15-year-old who’s already beaten Venus Williams and Magdalena Rybarikova, achieved another upset at Wimbledon on Friday by beating 28-year-old Polona Hercog of Slovenia 3-6, 7-6, 7-5.
And she did it in dramatic fashion as well.
That’s because Gauff, who’s ranked 313th in the world, lost the first set and found herself behind in the second 5-2 to the 60th-ranked Hercog. The Florida native also faced two match points but said it was never really a huge concern — especially since she was able to feed off the crowd’s energy.
“I always knew that I could come back no matter what the score was,” Gauff told ESPN. “The crowd was amazing, even when I was down a match point they were still cheering me on.”
It’s safe to assume the teen learned self-confidence and resilience from her parents Corey and Candi Gauff, who told NBC News what kind of advice they give her.
“Cheering yourself on, having good body language, let your opponent know nothing you do is going to faze me because I’m going to keep coming back,” her dad advises.
Meanwhile, Candi Gauff’s words center around constant effort and not being overwhelmed by the pressure.
“Usually what I tell her is to have fun, enjoy the moment, fight, compete and give it your best shot,” explained the mom.
Next, the rising tennis star will face Simona Halep, who’s ranked No. 7 in the world and won the French Open last year, on Monday in the fourth round, and if Gauff is victorious she’ll be in the quarterfinals.
Gauff is the youngest player to win a match at Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991. Plus, she’s become a fan favorite among the U.K. crowd, and her social media following is growing as well.
“Congratulations Stay Humble and Keep Winning,” one of her fans wrote on Instagram.
“Next Serena Williams,” wrote another.
