Coco Gauff pays tribute to Serena Williams after possibly final match
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 02: Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates her victory over Madison Keys of the United States in the third round of the women's singles at the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September (Getty Images)
NEW YORK - Professional tennis star and former Atlanta resident Coco Gauff honored perhaps the greatest tennis player of all time and her idol on social media.
After what is believed to be Serena Williams' final competitive match, Gauff thanked Williams for being an inspiration to her career.
Gauff's post was a flashback to moments in her career when she looked up to and stood alongside Williams. The 18-year-old phenom has appeared and played alongside Williams over the years.
In her post, Gauff wrote, "Serena, THANK YOU. It's because of you I believe in this dream. The impact you've had on me goes beyond words."
"I'm so grateful for every single person that's said, "Go Serena," in their life," Williams said after her U.S. Open loss on Friday. "I'm just so grateful because, yeah, you got me here."
Williams turns 41 this month and recently told the world that she is ready to start "evolving" away from her playing days — she expressed distaste for the word "retirement" — and while she has remained purposely vague about whether this appearance at Flushing Meadows definitely would represent her final tournament, everyone assumes it will be.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.