LONDON — American teenager Coco Gauff continued her fairytale run at Wimbledon on Friday but her mind is focused on only one thing: if Beyonce was watching.
The singer is a regular visitor, alongside her husband Jay-Z, to Serena Williams‘ matches at grand slam events, and Gauff said said she had been stunned at the reaction to her Wimbledon performances, including recognition from Beyonce’s mother.
“The most unexpected message I received — well, it wasn’t really a message — Miss Tina Knowles, Beyonce’s mom, posted [about] me on Instagram,” the 15-year-old told reporters at Wimbledon on Friday night. “I was, like, screaming.
“I don’t know, I hope Beyonce saw that. I hope she told her daughter about me because I would love to go to a concert.”
Gauff became the youngest player ever to qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon by winning three matches in the qualifying competition and beat five-times champion Venus Williams in the first round.
She followed it up with a win over Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia in the second round and on Friday, she saved two match points as she came from a set and 5-2 down to beat Polona Hercog of Slovenia for a place in the last 16.
Gauff said she is a huge Beyonce fan.
“A funny story, though,” she said. “Actually my parents told me to babysit my brothers. They didn’t tell me where they were going. Then I see on Facebook that they’re at the Beyonce and Jay-Z concert. I was so mad. I told them I wanted to go. They’re like, ‘We’ll be back in a couple hours.’ Then I see on Facebook they’re in Miami at Beyonce and Jay-Z.”
Having been almost anonymous when she arrived at Wimbledon, the American is fast becoming a star.
“Before I played Venus, as you know, when you walk to leave the practice courts, there are people waiting [and] one little kid asked me for a picture,” she said. “Then after the next day, after I played Venus, everybody was screaming my name. It was pretty surreal how life changes in a matter of seconds.
Gauff is assured of at least $220,000 for reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon but said she had not even thought about splashing out on anything special.
“I mean, I can’t buy a car because I can’t drive,” she said. “I don’t know. I hate spending money, to be honest. I don’t really know. Maybe I’m going to buy some more MSFTSrep, which is Jaden [Smith]’s line, buy some hoodies from that.”
Gauff plays Simona Halep, the former world No. 1, in the fourth round on Monday.