DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) – Coco Gauff’s remarkable run at Wimbledon has come to an end, but the South Florida community remains proud of her.
7News cameras captured family members and friends of 15-year-old Cori “Coco” Gauff clapping and chanting in unison at the Paradise Sports Lounge, her father’s restaurant, in Delray Beach, Monday morning.
“Coco! Coco!” the crowd chanted as Gauff took on Simona Halep, a veteran French Open winner and four-time Grand Slam finalist, in Round 16 of the British tennis tournament.
She lost to Simona Halep in a fourth round match with a final score of 6-3 6-3, but those rooting her on said she’s still a winner and has a long career ahead of her.
“We are proud of you, and we are proud of you,” supporters chanted as Gauff shook Halep’s hand at the end of the match.
When asked what he wanted to tell his sister, Cameron Gauff replied, “Good job.”
“She fought real hard, and it just wasn’t her day,” said her grandfather, Eddie Odom.
Her grandmother, Yvonne Odom, said it’s astonishing Gauff could reach the stage to take on a player like Halep.
“Think about it, former No. 1 in the world. I have seen Halep play, and think about it: Coco made a lot of errors, and that’s been our concern,” she said. “As she matures, those errors are going to go down, and she’s going to beat anybody in the world.”
Gauff became the crowd favorite at Wimbledon after she beat her idol, Venus Williams, in Round 1.
“She had an excellent run,” said Gauff’s great aunt Brenda Williams, “a lot sooner than what we thought it was going to be, so whatever steps she made, that was a victory. We feel like she won. She’s won. She’s just 15. She’s got so much potential, and I can’t be any more proud of her.”
“She’s got a long ways to go, you know? So, anyway, I’m happy,” said her grandfather.
“I’ve always told her, whether she wins, loses or draws, I will always love her no matter what,” said Yvonne. “People around the world know her because she can play tennis well, but your family, we are here whether you win, lose or match.”
Her grandmother said she knows Coco will remain polite and humble, just like she always has been. She also jokingly added she has to clean her room when she returns home.
“We just hope as a family that we can keep her grounded,” said Yvonne. “We’re not going to let her change. We are grounded. Coco still has to clean her room like everybody else.”
Family members said as soon as Coco comes back, she will go back to the courts to begin practicing for her next match.
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