age is nothing but a number
Venus Williams was just knocked out of Wimbledon by a 15-year-old
It's called passing the torch.
Venus Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion, was knocked out of this year's tournament by the field's youngest player, Cori "Coco" Gauff, who is all of 15 years old, on Monday. The 39-year-old Williams, who was the oldest player at Wimbledon, had already won four Grand Slam titles before Gauff was even born, but youth won out over experience on the grass on Monday, with Gauff snatching a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Gauff said Williams is one of her idols and she told the veteran she "wouldn't be here" without Williams. "I don't really know how to feel, this is the first time I've cried after a match, after winning," Gauff said.
Gauff is the youngest player to enter the main draw of Wimbledon since 2009. She's also the youngest to win a match since Jennifer Capriati in 1991.
Williams was not the only big name to go down in the opening round; Naomi Osaka, who won the most recent U.S. and Australian Opens, fell to Yulia Putintseva, 7-6 (4), 6-2. It's the second straight major tournament in which Osaka, who was ranked no. 1 until last week, has failed to advance to the second week.