Atlantic Ave Magazine March 2020

The line at the Ticket office snaked down the pavement, and the
bright lights cast a halo over Coco Gauff’s first appearance in
Delray after beating Venus Williams at Wimbledon.
To say that Coco has done well is an understatement. To say she is
the next tennis phenom is more appropriate. You could tell not only
by her miraculous wins at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, but
by the hysteria surrounding Coco’s appearance.
After a doubles match that pitted Johan Kriek and Vince Spadea
against Mikael Pernfors and Baghdatis, the seats began filling up. By
the time Coco was to set to play in center court almost every seat in
the stadium was filled – all 5,544.
The enormous showing (on a windy intermittent rainy day) was
not because it was the only female tennis match at the ATP but because
Coco was in the house. The 15-year-old Delray girl has become
a legend – one of victory, determination and talent.
Her opponent, Estela Perez-Somarriba, is the current NCAA champion
and a senior at University of Miami. The two volleyed so beautifully
that birds overhead must have wondered how a human could
send a ball in flight so majestically.
The game was riveting. Both girls were young and tenacious with
90-mile-per-hour serves and a voracious appetite for covering their
tennis turf. Balls that swiftly glided by the net had everyone in awe,
and each win for Coco seemed like a win for all 5,544 in attendance.
It was not a game of dueling swords, instead it was a fast-paced
reckoning of force between two compadres. It was Delray Beach -
Coco’s home turf. Which is why every time Coco scored a point loud
cheers rang out from the stands. It was Coco time and the thunder of
applause and nods filled the rarified air.
Though Perez-Somarriba had a cheering squad of her own, it
seemed like one big happy Coco family. And in a way it was. Coco’s
family came with her (mom Candi, dad Corey and brothers Codey
and Cameron) and for one hour and 30 minutes it felt like we were
all part of her extended family.
That’s just the way Coco wanted it. “It feels great to play in front of
family and friends. Also, the city of Delray has been supporting me
since the beginning. It was good to give them the chance to see me
play,” Coco told a reporter.
It sure was. After Coco’s victory, 6-3, 6-3, there was a ceremony with
local officials and a short autograph frenzy. As Coco left the stadium
everyone cheered and clapped for the 15-year-old hometown hero.
Cameras flashed and cell phones were whipped out in her direction.
Coco mania continued outside where she signed balls that were
tossed out randomly to the crowd. As everyone stood behind metal
gates vying for the right spot, it got a bit frenetic. For a moment it
seemed as though there was a rock star in the house – but the thunderous
chant was a distinct: “Coco…Coco…Coco!”
Far from the maddening crowd there were booths selling their
wares and giving out brochures. If you wanted a solar roof or a hoagie
you were in luck, but if you wanted to shake Coco’s hand, it was
a bit impossible.
What was not impossible was watching all the home-town glee.
“It was so exciting to watch a Delray Beach native, who learned to
play on these very courts, return to play and win tonight at her exhibition
match for the Delray Beach Open. The crowds were phenomenal,
and Coco didn’t disappoint,” said Mayor Shelly Petrolia, who
flipped a coin to see which player would serve first.
The mayor wasn’t the only person caught up in Coco mania.
City Commissioner Ryan Boylston saw the energetic sparks flying
over the courts too. “Coco brought out every corner of our community
and filled that stadium with the real true Delray Beach. It was an
incredible sight,” said the CEO and Founder of 2TON.
The exhibition was the first-ever women’s match at the Delray
Beach Open, and the first to have yellow rubber balls with lawyer
Lee Cohen’s image thrown out into the crowd.
Just a year ago not many people had heard of Coco Gauff. Though her
grandparents Yvonne and Eddie are fixtures in the educational system
and youth baseball, Coco was not a household name until last year.
It was after she qualified to play at Wimbledon (and beat Venus
Williams) that Coco mania was born. Now, at 15-years-old, Coco has
entered the rarified world of celebrities with one name like – Cher,
Madonna, Beyoncé and Drake.
She was not only the youngest tennis player to qualify for Wimbledon
in the Open era, but her matches were the most watched in the
US. And like her role models Serena and Venus Williams Coco has her
sights set on hitting the high notes of tennis royalty.
But, if you ask those who attended last month’s exhibition game, it
seems she already has. “Coco is so focused, poised and talented. I’ve
seen professional tennis players before, but Coco is a winner we’ll
see for many many years to come,” said Bob Antoville, pre-needs advisor
at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens.
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