Coco Gauff shares emotional message to her 'idol' Serena Williams; 'Friend and mentor'

Coco Gauff is ready for the Paris Olympics . Despite Gauff's impressive tennis career, this marks her first time attending the prestigious and historic event. While she qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Gauff had to skip out due to contracting COVID-19. In a new letter, Gauff addresses her 17-year-old self and shares her achievements in the past four years, including developing a friendship with her idol, Serena Williams .

© NurPhoto

The letter was shared on the Paris Olympics website and shows Gauff talking to her older self about some of the things she's most proud of in the present. "While tennis is an individual sport, you relish the relationships with your teammates," reads the letter.

"You’ve been lucky enough that your on-court relationships have turned into off-court friendships. One of those notable friendships is with your idol, Serena Williams . Serena was once just a stranger printed on a poster hanging in your room, and now you still can’t believe she’s a friend and mentor," she wrote.

Gauff explains that her admiration for Williams is so high that she has her as one of her inspirations for her Olympic Games debut. "Her profound impact on tennis, what it means to be a champion and to break barriers is a legacy you hope to uphold and carry with you into your first Olympic Games," she wrote.

© Abbie Parr

Gauff's dreams of becoming an Olympian are coming true

In her letter, Gauff reveals that she's long wanted to be involved in the Olympics and that she just wants to enjoy the moment she's sought throughout a large portion of her life. "In your phone under your vision notes, you wrote that you want to win a medal at the Olympics. Gold, silver, bronze – it doesn’t matter," she wrote. "But you’ve already won, you’ve made your childhood dream of playing at the Olympics, representing the United States, a real reality. And now, finally, you get to enjoy it."

The 2024 Paris Olympics begin on Friday, July 26th.