RISING STAR

Coco Gauff, 15, Defeats Venus Williams at Australian Open

Gauff has shot up the world rankings to 67th in the world, having started last year at 686th.

Fifteen-year-old tennis sensation Coco Gauff has knocked Venus Williams out of the Australian Open on the tournament’s opening day. Gauff’s victory against Venus was a repeat of the Wimbledon victory last July which launched her to worldwide stardom. The 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win came as less of a shock than the Wimbledon match—Gauff is now a top 100 player and Venus was suffering with a hip injury ahead of the tournament. The teenager said after her victory: “That was really difficult, she played really well. I was really nervous for today's match. I was a bit shocked, I'm sure everybody was shocked, when they saw that draw, but I'm really glad to get through it.” Gauff has climbed the rankings to 67th in the world, having started 2019 at 686. She’ll play Romanian Sorana Cirstea in the next round.