Coco Gauff on Sloane Stephens’ impact on black tennis & how she’s impacted her own life, ‘I felt like the coolest kid ever to have Sloane Stephens at my birthday party'
“Sloane has been an important part of black tennis, and specifically in my career, she was probably the closest tennis icon I had around me. We had the same childhood coach. I was able to be able to watch her practice from up close.
I had my 10th birthday one time, she came to surprise me at that. I felt like the coolest kid ever to have Sloane Stephens at my birthday party. She’s someone who’s always been super nice to me. She’s definitely underrated in a sense of all she’s done and you know, her foundation, she’s been doing it for years.
She’s really hands on from what I’ve seen. She’s doing a lot of clinics different times of the year in underprivileged areas. I think that’s something people don’t really see. I’m glad USTA recognized her for that. She’s probably one of the few on tour who are as hands on with their foundation as she is.
It’s something that kind of inspired me to start mine. We’re in the early stages, but I’d definitely like to impact as many kids as Sloane has done in the sport of tennis. She’s an inspiration for us all. I’m lucky I’ve gotten the chance to know her for so long. The grace she’s shown me has been the same from the beginning until now.”
(via US Open Press)