Former First Lady Michelle Obama exchanges autographs with 15-year-old tennis star Coco Gauff

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• Former First Lady Michelle Obama met with 15-year-old tennis star Cori "Coco" Gauff to exchange autographs on Thursday.
• The former first lady posted a picture with Gauff on Twitter holding a signed tennis racket, and Gauff held a signed copy of Obama’s 2018 memoir "Becoming."
• Gauff told CNN that Obama was also one of her role models and thought it was "cool to see that she knows I exist."
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Former First Lady Michelle Obama met with 15-year-old tennis star Cori "Coco" Gauff to exchange autographs on Thursday — Gauff signed a tennis racket and Obama signed a copy of her 2018 memoir "Becoming."

In her inscription to Gauff, Obama wrote, "I wish you courage, strength, joy and love on your journey to become more." She later tweeted that Gauff was a "wonderful young woman who’s showing us that we don’t have to wait to see what the next generation can do."

Gauff also posted about the meeting, writing that it left her "SPEECHLESS" in all caps.

 

Read more: The inspiring life of 15-year-old Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, Wimbledon’s teen tennis sensation

The teen tennis star rose to fame during this year’s Wimbledon Championships, notably for her victory over five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round. Serena Williams, who Gauff has said was one of her idols, also told CNN that she "couldn’t feel more proud of Gauff."

Gauff made it onto Obama’s radar, who tweeted that Gauff was "terrific" after defeating Slovenian tennis player Polona Hercog on July 5. After seeing the former first lady’s tweet about her, Gauff told CNN that Obama was also one of her role models and thought it was "cool to see that she knows I exist."

 

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See Also:

• Novak Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic says Nick Kyrgios is good for tennis, even though he trolls Novak
• 15-year-old ‘Coco’ Gauff returns at the Washington Open and has explained how her life changed forever after Wimbledon
• The incredible life of Roger Federer, the highest-paid tennis player in the world

SEE ALSO: Michelle Obama said attending Trump’s inauguration as one of few people of color was ‘a lot emotionally’

Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Lauren Frias)