How Coco Gauff responded when Billie Jean King offered to coach her earlier this year

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Coco Gauff is currently the top-ranked American and a two-time Grand Slam champion, yet it still feels like there’s so much more to come from her.

Just 21 years old, the sky really is the limit despite the recent hardships she has suffered.

A struggling serving and a wildly inconsistent forehand seemed to only get worse as the season went on, and on the eve of the US Open, she made a change.

Gauff overhauled her entire coaching team to bring in Gavin MacMillan, hoping that the biomechanics expert could have a similar impact on her game as he did with Aryna Sabalenka’s.

And yet, it might not have been the biggest coaching story that she could have been a part of in 2025, had she accepted Billie Jean King’s offer.

When Billie Jean King offered to coach Coco Gauff

Speaking back in February, the American tennis legend was asked about what advice she would give to Coco Gauff if given the chance.

And, as a monumental figure within the sport, both for her work on and off the court, her opinion is hugely valuable.

Seeking to transfer that onto her young compatriot, King claimed: “Well, I’d love to coach her a little bit, but privately. I don’t want to be in the limelight.

“But I think she’s just going to keep improving because she gets really upset with herself when she doesn’t do well, which is a good sign, that she’s going to drive herself to be better.

“I think that what you said, she’s only 20. I think we need to just take a take a beat, take a breath, let her just have time to keep developing. When she gets to about 22, 23, then I would start being concerned if she’s not finishing.

“Madison Keys is a perfect example for young people and for players to see, don’t give up. You gotta just keep going and keep paying the price on and off the court.

“And listen to the players’ stories. Coco probably, I hope, maybe she learned something from Madison, I don’t know. I’ll probably ask her when I see her, though.

“And so, she’s got a great family, so Coco does. And I think we’re going to see a lot more of her. What a great athlete.

It’s ironic that many might call the last few months of her career a disappointment, given that Gauff has created even more history with another top-three finish.

Coco Gauff’s response to Billie Jean King’s coaching offer

Well, it took five months, but eventually Gauff responded to that illustrious offer.

The youngster claimed: “I think it’s very cool to see someone like that want to talk and things like that.”

Gauff then went on to reveal that the two had exchanged messages, adding: “She has reached out a couple of times, and it has been great to have chats with her.”

She finished by sharing what she most wanted to learn from the 12-time Grand Slam champion, noting: “I guess the main thing [I would like to learn] is how she handles it all.”