(Issued Monday 21 January 2020)
American teenage sensation Coco Gauff has earned inclusion for the World Sports Awards, 2020. The 15-year-old teenager is nominated for the Breakthrough of the year award along with two-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan, and Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu who won the US Open tennis tournament last year.
The
three youngsters were nominated by the World’s Sports Media who casted their
votes to set the stage for the landmark 20th anniversary of the Laureus World
Sports Awards. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony slated for
February 17, in Berlin.
Gauff,
the youngest nominee for the prestigious award is one of the game’s most
popular names in recent times. She rose to prominence with a magical Wimbledon
run. She defeated veteran Serena Williams in the first round of the all England
club on her way to making it to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. Gauff became
the youngest player to rank in the top 100th by the Women’s Tennis Association
(WTA).
The
girl from Delray Beach Florida captivated the tennis world once again with an
extraordinary Linz performance as she won her first career singles title during
the 2019 Linz Open final with a victory over strong contender Jalena Ostapenko
- making her the youngest singles title winner on the WTA tour since 2004.
Gauff twice teamed-up with compatriot Caty McNally and won two WTA doubles
titles at the Citi Open and at Luxembourg last year.
Inspired
by the Williams sisters Serena and Venus, Gauff has had early success as a
teenager, winning the junior Grand Slam singles title at the 2018 French Open.
She
defeated Caty McNally in the final to add on to her junior Grand Slam doubles
title at the 2018 US open, pairing with McNally to win the doubles once again.
Her instant success in courts comes hot on the heels of her debut WTA match
back in March 2019 as she won her opening match at the Citi Open.
She
was rewarded with her remarkable performances and subsequently received a
wildcard entry into the qualifying draw at Wimbledon. She became the youngest
player to qualify for the main draw in the professional era. And each of her
matches at Wimbledon produced the largest tickets sales and the most-watched
match of the entire tournament. Coco, hugely praised for her humility,
composure, calmness and never-say-die-attitude continued to captivate the
tennis world when she reached the third-round at the US Open which was also her
first major Grand Slam tournament on home soil.
Coco
was born on March 13, 2004, to a parents of humble background in Delray Beach
Florida. Her parents Candi Odom and Corey Gauff are credited for their role in
raising a phenomenally talented teenager on and off the courts. At just 15,
Coco has already made a lasting impact in the world of tennis with memories of
Wimbledon, US and Linz Open continuing to linger in the hearts and minds of the
tennis world, attracting over two million followers across social media. Her
rapid rise to stardom has been the best tennis story in recent history.
