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Tennis phenom Cori “Coco” Gauff, appeared cool and calm as she took Wimbledon by storm, but she said Tuesday she was just as surprised as everyone else when she became the star of the All England Club.
“This has all happened as a surprise,” Gauff said on ABC’s Good Morning America. “I came into the tournament as a wild card into qualifying, and then to end up playing the No. 1 seed in qualifying, and then once I got through qualifying, playing my idol [in the] first round, this tournament has really been a roller coaster.”
Gauff, 15, was ranked No. 313 in the world going into Wimbledon; she was the youngest player ever to qualify for the tournament. She defeated Venus Williams in straight sets in the first round and then beat Magdaléna Rybáriková to reach the third round, where she faced Polona Hercog of Slovenia.
That match on Friday cemented her place in history, as she fought back from two match points, including a second set tiebreak, to come out on top. In doing so, Gauff became the youngest player since 1991 to make it to the second week of Wimbledon.
“Being down those match points and then coming back, that was definitely a great feeling,” said Gauff, who competed while taking school tests.
Throughout her inspiring run, Gauff was supported by family, friends and celebrities, including former first lady Michelle Obama.
Even so, Gauff said the cheering fans present at Wimbledon are her greatest memory from tournament.
“I think the most I’m going to remember is the crowd here,” she said. “Ever since the first match, they’ve been supporting me, even when I was down those match points they were supporting me, and even after I lost my match they were clapping for me.”
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