Gauff, Coco
2004- · Contribution: 2023-2025
Won the US Open and French Open Grand Slam singles titles as a teenager

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Won the 2023 US Open at 19, becoming the first American teenager to win the title since Serena Williams in 1999, then won the 2025 French Open by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, becoming the first American to win the French Open singles title since Serena Williams in 2015.
Life & background
Gauff won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 2023 US Open at age 19, becoming the first American teenager to win the tournament since Serena Williams in 1999. In 2025 she won her second major title at the French Open, defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set final, becoming the first American to win the French Open singles title since Serena Williams a decade earlier. Reflecting on her US Open win amid a charged national political climate, Gauff said she was 'proud to represent the Americans that look like me.'
Sources
- Black history through sports (Leland Stein III); WTA (Women's Tennis Association); ESPN; CBS Sports
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