"LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Venus & Serena Williams made something great out of nothing" - Coco Gauff on the importance of sports in black culture

Coco Gauff has shed light on the significance of sports in the black community, highlighting LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Venus Williams and Serena Williams as influential figures.

In honor of Black History Month, Gauff discussed the five vital cultural pillars of the Black community, on the 'WTA Insider Podcast, 'in a segment called 'Coco’s Culture Corner.'

The 19-year-old recognized the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery, as the first such cornerstone. She also highlighted the rich culinary heritage of Black culture, citing New Orleans, Louisiana, as a hotbed of African American food.

Additionally, the World No. 3 spotlighted the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, and emphasized the societal impact of the book-turned-movie 'The Hate U Give' in addressing the issue of racial bias.

Coco Gauff identified sports as the fifth key cornerstone that holds an important place in Black culture, acknowledging its role as an avenue for those from poor and marginalized communities to escape their circumstances.

"Just sports. It’s such a huge thing in our culture really, sports. It’s been an escape for so many people in urban communities and poor communities to escape the circumstances that they were given.

"You see so many athletes changing, stopping generational trauma happening and finding a way out through sports," Coco Gauff said (at 4:45).

The World No. 3 cited sporting legends like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams as inspirational figures for the African American community for transcending their humble backgrounds.

"If you look at just individual athlete stories like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, even Serena and Venus, and their lives and how they were able to make something great out of nothing. It’s pretty inspiring.

"I think sports is the key to the world because all cultures and all countries pretty much participate in sports. So, if you look at, not even just at Black athletes but just athletes in general, you see so many stories," she added.

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"I don't think anything I’ll do will compare to what Serena Williams did" - Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff has never shied away from expressing her admiration for Serena Williams, frequently highlighting the 23-time Grand Slam champion's immeasurable impact on the sport.

In a recent interview, Gauff conceded that while several players could be considered great, she regards Williams as the unequivocal greatest. She also admitted that matching her compatriot's achievements is an unattainable feat.

"I think for me greatness is… I think multiple people can be great. Obviously, there's only going to be one greatest of all time, and I just feel like no matter what I do, I don't think anything I’ll do will compare to what Serena (Williams) did for the sport and the game and with the amount of times she won," Coco Gauff said.

Nevertheless, Coco Gauff outlined her ambition to be counted among the best players when she retires, emphasizing her determination to make improvements and achieve further success.

"But I definitely would like to be, when I retire, people, when they think of the best players, I'd like to be in that conversation. So hopefully I can do better and continue to do better," she added.