Ex-Slam Champion Draws Serena Williams Comparison in Coco Gauff 2025 Rating

Former six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs thinks there are reasons for Coco Gauff to be “super disappointed” about her 2025, but also to be pleased in some ways, while also recognizing that the American is still a long way from reaching the heights of Serena Williams.

Gauff, who celebrated her 21st birthday in March, became Grand Slam champion at the 2023 US Open before taking her second Major title at this year’s French Open. On paper, it is something special to have two Grand Slams at the age of 21.

However, Gauff is still 21 Grand Slam wins away from equaling Williams’ 23 Slams, and five away from tying Venus’s Major wins. In retrospect, Serena was 18 when she won her first Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open and finished the 2002 season as a four-time Slam winner. Venus was 20 when she won her first two Majors in 2000, and the following year she recorded two more victories on the biggest stage.

Outside of this year’s French Open, Gauff did not enjoy much success at Grand Slam level, having lost in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, lost in the first round of Wimbledon and exited the US Open in the round of 16.

Stubbs, who worked with Serena during the 2022 U.S. Open bye, assessed Gauff’s year on the latest episode of her podcast.

Stubbs: Gauff already has two Slams is incredible, but you have to win a lot more to get close to Williams

“She’s going to be super disappointed in a lot of ways, but the other side of me is saying, no… the reason that came to my mind was when you said it was because Coco said she wants to win the most Grand Slams. She’s made it clear that she wants to be one of the greatest of all time. Those are her words, not mine,” Stubbs said of her. podcast.

“She’s put it out there consistently and hasn’t been afraid to say that she wants to be as great as Venus or Serena. And I think, OK, they won a lot of major titles when they were 18, 19, 20. They were peaking at your age at the time, and you have two incredible ones, at your age to do what you’ve done. So if you want to be 20, you’re going to have to win two for 10 years, or you’re going to win a lot in a short period of time, depending on how long you want to go.” So I think that’s disappointing in some ways because she wants to bring them in.

Stubbs then brought up Gauff’s comments about changing her perspective, no longer allowing wins or losses to define her, and generally taking a more balanced and healthy approach to things.

“So in that respect she would consider this year a success and say, I’m doing great, I’m making a lot of money, I won another major title,” Stubbs said.