WIMBLEDON, England -- Coco Gauff was 15 years old, playing in her first major main draw the first time she stepped onto Court 1 at Wimbledon.
But by the end of the match she had defeated Venus Williams, a five-time champion at the event and Gauff's childhood idol. And she had introduced herself to the world.
On Wednesday, seven years to the day since her breakthrough moment, Gauff was back on Court 1. Now she holds two Grand Slam singles titles, and so much has changed since that coming out party in 2019, in which she came through qualifying to become an overnight superstar with her fearless play, relentless belief and enamoring interviews as she went on to reach the fourth round. But moments felt weirdly similar as she took on Solana Sierra in the second round.
"Every time I walk down this hallway, I get déjà vu," Gauff said. "I just remind myself that if I could do that seven years ago, I'm definitely a better player since then, so I definitely can do it now."
While she is now the favorite to win most matches she plays, and the tournament's No. 7 seed, Gauff needed to fight against Sierra with everything she had. But just like in her debut, the crowd was on Gauff's side, and only grew louder as she came back after being two points away from elimination -- and yet again when trailing by three points in the final-set tiebreak.
Against Williams, Gauff had bent over and put her hands above her head in shock, as she tried to hold back her tears, after she had won the match. On Wednesday, when she completed the improbable 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7) victory after winning the final five points of the match, she seemed equally surprised and delighted as she threw her racket down in celebration and raised her arms above her head and then roared as she jumped up and down.
The crowd, yet again, stood in ovation.
Gauff doesn't remember much about that first match on Court 1 -- she called it a "blackout" experience and said she has never watched it because it feels "sacred in a way." But she vividly remembered the walk to the court.
"They've changed up, I think, the decor back there on the walk to Court 1. I don't know, I walked it today, it didn't feel that long. Against Venus, it felt so long. I felt like I was walking for ages, and my dad walked with me," she said on Wednesday during her press conference.
"I just remember feeling like a little girl standing next to [Venus]. When I stepped on court, I don't know, I didn't feel like a little girl anymore. I think that reminded me of just my competitive spirit."
That same competitive spirit was on full display Wednesday, until the final point.
Gauff is now back into the third round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2024, and just the fourth time in her career. Despite her star-making turn at the All England Club in 2019, grass remains her weakest surface. She's never advanced past the Round of 16 at the event, nor has she ever reached a final on the surface, in singles or doubles. While her game thrives on the clay and the hard court -- and she has the titles from the French Open and the US Open to prove it -- she simply hasn't been able to figure out the speed and unpredictable nature of the grass.
With such a quick turnaround between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and an even shorter one for those who do well in Paris, Gauff hasn't had much time in recent years to play on the surface. And despite an early exit at Roland Garros this year after losing in the third round, Gauff played just one tournament in the lead-up to Wimbledon. She lost in the first round.
She was candid about her feelings toward the surface at the start of the tournament.
"We don't have the best relationship," Gauff said jokingly.
But, she added, she was hopeful things could improve.
"I always have fond memories on the grass. I obviously had a couple fourth rounds here," Gauff said. "I definitely think that I have the ability to play on it. I think it's more about the confidence ... [It's] something that I'm learning to play on. I don't think it's a natural surface for me, but we're going to make it natural."
Gauff will next play fellow American Claire Liu, who came through qualifying, on Friday. Having been a qualifier herself all those years ago, Gauff knew just how dangerous of an opponent Liu could be.
"I feel like anytime you're playing a qualifier, it's always tough because they have three matches already," Gauff said on Wednesday. "She won two matches here, so she has a lot more momentum maybe than I have right now."
A victory would get her back to the fourth round and there she would face No. 11 seed Belinda Bencic, a 2025 semifinalist, or No. 19 Anna Kalinskaya with a chance for Gauff to reach her first quarterfinals at the All England Club.
Gauff is still just 22 and, as both Venus and Serena Williams have proved, could have decades remaining in the sport and many more opportunities for a deep run at Wimbledon. The sisters are, in fact, scheduled to play Sierra and Camila Osorio in doubles later this week.
But Gauff knows it won't last forever.
"I think in the grand scheme of things, you feel like you play this tournament many times, but then when you look back at most people's careers, it's like 12, maybe even less than that, 12 times," Gauff told the crowd. "So I really try to make sure I enjoy every moment because there's going to be one day I'm going to be the one watching somebody my age [now] playing and I'm going to miss being out here."