DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Coco Gauff may be out at Wimbledon, but she’s set a standard for many young African American female tennis players to follow.
Historically, South Florida has been a training ground for not only Coco, but the Williams sisters, Sloane Stephens and Taylor Townsend. Their climb has spawned a more diversified sport.
“Parents of not only African Americans, but parents of any minority group should be encouraged,” said Brent Wellman, Junior Tennis Director at Delray Beach Tennis Center.
Wellman says there’s three traits successful African American tennis players all have in common: a rare talent, good coaching and an iron clad competition ring found in South Florida.
“Iron sharpens iron,” said Wellman.
He says it’s the reason people like 11-year-old Joliet Destine and 17 year-old Keona Burley are now on the court.
“Having black tennis players, yes, it inspires me, and I’m pretty sure it inspires others,” said Burley.
Both girls train on a green clay court, that Coco too trained on surrounded by others that look like them. Their coach says out of the 14 to 25 young players he coaches each week approximately 20 percent are female minorities, but adds the game hasn’t change.
“Whose got the best athletic ability, best hand and eye coordination, the drive,” Wellman said.
He says to get to the top it will require four to five hours of practice per day and an additional hour of fitness. And aspiring phenoms better be prepared for an international competition pool.
“People move from Russia, South America, Europe Canada all to train in this hub of South Florida,” Wellman added.