Chasing Perfection

Coco Gauff is as famous for her poise as she is for her tennis, and in person she cuts a regal figure. The Friday before last season's finals began in Cancún, Mexico, in late October, she and other top players attended a gala at the palatial Kempinski Hotel.

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The 19-year-old American strode in wearing a white linen sundress. Side cutouts at the waist, embellished with faux coral, highlighted her sculptural build. Where many of her fellow athletes wore heels of punishing height, she'd chosen platform sandals. (Better for the feet.) She'd opted out of glam services provided by the Women's Tennis Association to do her own makeup a natural dewy glow-and her hair was in windswept waves.

Asked what she thought of Cancún, Gauff said it reminded her of home, Delray Beach in Florida. "I love the beach," she told reporters. "I'm like a mermaid, so to wake up every day and see the beach is a dream." It had been seven weeks since Gauff won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, and the buzz of victory still surrounded her. Although she was the youngest American to win the tournament since Serena Williams in 1999, it felt like a long time coming.

Gauff's game can get incredibly physical, and in the US Open final, she often looked like a track star running lateral sprints as she chased down Aryna Sabalenka's powerful groundstrokes. When Gauff won, with a backhand passing shot down the line, Arthur Ashe Stadium erupted.

Gauff has a unique ability to draw energy from a crowd, and they from her. This has been true ever since she beat Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon in 2019. Gauff was new to the professional tour, ranked 313th, and unknown outside of tennis circles. She was also, at 15, the youngest woman to qualify for Wimbledon in the Open Era. When she won match point, Gauff allowed herself two seconds to absorb the shock before making a line for Williams.