Coco Gauff was left really impressed by Serena Williams on her return to Wimbledon, despite the veteran losing in the first round.
Williams was beaten by Maya Joint in her opening test at the grass-court Grand Slam, her first singles match in almost four years.
After losing 3-6, 7-6(8-6), 3-6 to Joint, legendary figure Williams confirmed she suffered a knee injury in the first set of the match on Centre Court.
Despite that issue and the defeat, her fellow WTA superstar Gauff has now applauded the 44-year-old upon her Wimbledon comeback.
What was the biggest shock from the first round of Wimbledon this year?
Plenty to choose from…
Coco Gauff praises ‘top 10 tennis’ from Serena Williams at Wimbledon
Gauff, who has won her first two matches at the All England Club, said of Williams on Tennis Channel: “Oh so cool just to watch her play, and the level she brought was insane, and even like Maya too.
“I think maybe had Serena played like almost anybody else she might have… would have won, or maybe played Maya on a different day, I don’t know.
“But I thought that they both brought like top 10 tennis, and it was really cool to watch.
“I look up to her so much and there’s so much respect from all the fans and energy she brings to our sport.
“So to have her back is really cool, and I’m always rooting for her, for sure.”
Fortunately Gauff should get another chance to see Williams in action at SW19, but only if her knee injury does not force her out of the doubles event.
The icon has decided to team up with her sister Venus Williams, with the duo taking on Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio in their opening match.
How far will Serena Williams and Venus Williams go at Wimbledon?
They’ve won six Wimbledon doubles titles together…
Coco Gauff shares her admiration for Wimbledon after reaching round three
While Gauff has been enjoying Williams’ extraordinary comeback to tennis, she does have her own efforts to focus on.
And the American has been impressing at Wimbledon so far, defeating Sierra in three sets after a straight-sets win over Tamara Korpatsch in round one.
And despite never making it beyond the fourth round in London, Gauff has huge admiration for the prestigious tournament.
“I feel like, I don’t know, the fans here have huge respect for all the players here, more so than anywhere,” she said.
“I just feel like, you know, whether you’re on a smaller court or bigger court, I feel like people are really enamored with tennis.
“And also I think just how hard it is to get tickets here, it makes people appreciate their time here, like the queue is insane. This makes people appreciate their time here even more.
“And then just the tradition of it all. I mean, I’m obviously someone I think who likes to break traditions a little bit, but I also respect them, and I respect the tradition Wimbledon has brought to this sport.
“I think the all-white, I definitely wouldn’t want other tournaments to pick up on it, but I think here it’s just super special and something elegant about it, and I think it makes you appreciate the history our sport has.”
Gauff is already delighted to have improved upon her shock first round exit this time last year, but she’ll now be eyeing a lengthy run.
Up next for the world number seven is her compatriot Claire Liu, who made it to the main draw via qualifying.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
