Coco Gauff: I’ll Never Be Serena Williams And Serena Williams Will Never Be Me

Coco Gauff will be seeded for the first time ever at a Grand Slam this upcoming week at the French Open. The 17-year-old will be the No. 24 when she opens play either Monday or Tuesday in Paris.

She’ll face Serbian qualifier Alexandra Krunic with Jen Brady looming in the third round and former champion Ash Barty in the fourth. Gauff, though, comes in on a hot streak having just won her first clay title last week in Parma, and her confidence is high.

“I feel great going into it,” Gauff said Friday. “After Parma, we went to Nice, went to the Mouratoglou Academy for a couple days just to train a little bit, relax, get away from the bubble life.

“I had two practices here so far since I have been here and they have both been great. I’m feeling really good going into it and feeling really confident.”

Gauff also about the comparisons between her and Serena who she has never faced on the court. But she doesn’t want to be the next “Serena”. “Playing Serena in the final would be great,” Gauff said. “That’s the dream that I have always dreamed about, playing her in a final.

“People compare me to them a lot, and I think it’s a compliment, but for me I just focus on being myself because I’m never going to be Serena Williams and Serena will never be me because we are two different people. We have two different brains.

“I understand why people compare us, but I think it’s just important that I want to be known as Coco. I don’t want to be known as Serena Williams’ heir, or Serena Williams’ next thing. I just want to be known as Coco Gauff.”