Venus Williams ousted by 15-year-old American in 1st round of Wimbledon

In a shock to the tennis world, veteran champion Venus Williams was ousted from the first round of Wimbledon by a 15-year-old American on Monday.  

Cori “Coco” Gauff beat Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion 6-4, 6-4 on the first day of the tournament. Gauff, ranked 313th worldwide, is the youngest player to compete in Wimbledon in a decade.

{mosads}”Honestly, I don’t really know how to feel. This is the first time I ever cried after a match. Or winning, obviously; I’ve cried after a loss before,” Gauff told the BBC in an interview.

“I never thought this would happen. I’m literally living my dream right now. And not many people get to say that,” she added.  

Williams applauded her opponent after the match.

“She did everything well today,” Williams said, according to The New York Times. “She put the ball in the court, which was much better than I did. She served well, moved well. It was a great match for her.” 

Gauff told Williams that she grew up admiring her career. 

“I told her thank you for everything that you did. I wouldn’t be here without you. I always wanted to tell her that,” Gauff reportedly said.

In 2017, Gauff was the youngest United States Open junior finalist in history, according to the Times.