Coco Gauff Hails Sloane Stephens’ Impact on Her Life and Black Community

Coco Gauff kicked off her US Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Zeynep Sonmez on Tuesday (September 1), continuing her winning ways after ending her title drought in Cincinnati. The American ace, the winner here in 2023, will next be facing Daria Kasatkina or Paula Badosa.

At the press conference, Gauff was told that countrywoman Sloane Stephens won the USTA’s Serving Up Dreams award for her work with her Sloane Stephens Foundation that helps underprivileged children and families through tennis and educational support. Gauff was asked about Stephens’ impact on the black community.

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.

Gauff then recalled the time when Stephens surprised her on her 10th birthday, and said she is lucky that she has gotten a chance to know her for so long.

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.

Coco Gauff added

Stephens, former World No.3, is also competing in her home Slam. She breezed past Clara Tauson in the first round to schedule her next match against Marta Kostyuk.

Stephens, in fact, is chasing her second Grand Slam title. Back in 2017, she beat countrywoman Madison Keys in the US Open final. She also reached the final of the French Open the following year but lost the title to Simona Halep.

After losing the Miami Open final to Aryna Sabalenka and the Italian Open final to Elina Svitolina, the 22-year-old beat countrywoman Jessica Pegula in the Cincinnati Open, winning her first title since the 2025 Wuhan Open.

Coco Gauff on why she was feeling nervous during her first-round match

Coco Gauff admitted right after winning her first-round match that she wasn’t feeling nervous during the match. At the press conference later, the 22-year-old was asked what the factors were that put her mind at ease.

Yeah, I mean, I was nervous like in the tunnel, and then for some reason when the warm-up started it went away. I think it showed the first game how I came out serving really well. Don’t know what put my mind at ease. I think just maybe the confidence I had this week and knowing the opponent will have to play a really high level and me a really low level maybe for it to not go my way.

Gauff has a chance to reach her career-best ranking of No.1 if she wins the title and World No.2 Elena Rybakina loses before the semifinal. World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka will only be able to maintain her position if she defends the title and the Kazakh ace loses before the semifinal.

Sabalenka, after losing to Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, beat Jessica Pegula in the final the following year. Last year, she defeated Amanda Anisimova. She is chasing a three-peat in the New York Slam but hasn’t yet reached a final since defeating Gauff in the Miami Open final.

The four-time Grand Slam singles champion, in fact, has reached just one semifinal since completing the Sunshine Double. She will only lock horns with Gauff if both the multi-time Grand Slam singles winner progress to the championship clash.

Also read: Amanda Anisimova Opens Up on Reuniting With Former Coach After Past Mistakes