DELRAY BEACH, FL — Cori “Coco” Gauff’s famiy and friends celebrated her improbable Wimbledon victory Friday back home in Delray Beach, Florida as the 15-year-old fought off two match points and overcame a seemingly insurmountable 1 set to love, 5-2 game deficit on the All England Club’s famed Centre Court to come away with a 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 win.
Gauff, who prefers to be called Coco, beat 28-year-old Polona Hercog of Slovenia to continue her fairy tale ascent to stardom on tennis’ biggest stage having now also beaten five-time Wimbledon champion and fellow Floridian Venus Williams in the first round and 2017 semifinalist Magdalena Rybarikova in the second round. She is slated to take on former No. 1 Simona Halep on Monday.
“It was just relief, belief because I know she could do it,” Gauff’s grandmother, Yvonne Odom, told Patch after Friday’s match. “I have seen her come from down before in matches. So I know she has it in her. She has a heart to see it, to do it. It’s just to me a miracle. I believe in miracles. I’m a miracle. She’s a miracle.”
She sends her granddaughter Bible verses for inspiration: “The one about God did not give you the spirit of fear but of power, love and self control,” she said. “We’ve been kind of working with that one.”
Great-aunt Brenda Lee Williams said she knew in her heart that Gauff would do well at Wimbledon.
“That’s how much confidence I had in Coco that she was going to do well,” Williams said. “Now, I was kind of shocked how well she did though.”
Gauff’s grandparents, aunts, uncle, cousins and nephews turned out to show their support at the family’s Paradise Sports Lounge in Delray Beach. They passed out white beads as a nod to family members in New Orleans who couldn’t be there.
“New Orleans are known for beads of good luck,” said Gauff’s aunt, Joi Odom Grant, on her mother’s side. “We just want the family in New Orleans to know they are part of this celebration, as well.”
She said her family gets nervous every time they watch one of Gauff’s matches as she became the youngest woman to win a match at the All England Club since 1991, when Jennifer Capriati reached the semifinals at the same age.
Great-uncle Robert Lee said Gauff called into St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Boyton Beach via Facetime during Sunday’s service. The 700 congregants said a prayer before the teenager took on longtime idol Williams.
“Her parents always tell her: ‘Look if you play your game you can beat anybody’ and that’s what she does,” Lee explained. “When you idolize someone all your life, it just overwhelms you basically that you actually done what you set out to do.”
Eddie Odom Jr. was running the Paradise on Friday. The establishment was named after the now-defunct Paradise Club, which was owned by Gauff’s grandfather until it closed about a decade ago.
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“Epic, absolutely epic,” declared Odom after his niece’s second set comeback. “This is going to go down in the history books of Wimbledon as one of the greatest sets of all time.”
Athleticism runs in Gauff’s family. Her mother was a decathlon star at Atlantic Community High School and her grandfather was a catcher in the minor leagues for the Atlanta Braves and the former Washington Senators.
Her parents, Candi and Corey, who spells his name differently than his daughter, are in London for the tournament. Corey Gauff is credited with encouraging his daughter to take up tennis.
“It’s like a dream, but it’s coming true,” observed Gauff’s grandfather, Eddie “Red” Odom. Before she left for Wimbledon, he told her: “Win or lose have class. I’m very proud of her because she really represents the city and the family very well.”
Gauff’s grandmother added that nervous anxiety set in as the teen twice faced elimination during the second set before going on to win in a tiebreaker.
“Now, I’m going to go and watch the replay when it comes on later on the Tennis Channel so I really can enjoy it,” her grandmother said.