Venus Williams won’t give any advice to Coco Gauff and Madison Keys at French Open: Here’s why

May 28, 2025

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Venus Williams explained why she has no advice for Coco Gauff and Madison Keys in terms of helping them to achieve success at the 2025 French Open. According to Williams, both Gauff and Keys “know what they’re doing”.

The former No. 1 and seven-time singles Major champion, who is at Roland Garros this year as an analyst and commentator for TNT Sports, was asked by fellow pundit Sam Querrey if she would give any advice to her younger compatriots if she ran into them around the grounds.

In response, Venus Williams recalled competing against both Gauff and Keys and suggested it’s difficult for her to give advice to her rivals.

"You know what? I was always playing against them. So, I never really got the chance to give them much advice. They were playing so well. I lost to both of them. So, it's not easy to be in that position where you mentor and you're playing against someone, but these girls know what they're doing," Williams said. (from 3:00)

The 44-year-old faced Coco Gauff at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships and the 2020 Australian Open, and lost in straight sets on both occasions. Against Madison Keys, Williams has played six matches, winning only two. The tennis legend went on to briefly touch on Keys' success at the Australian Open earlier this year.

"Madison hits the ball a ton. How exciting was it when she won the Australian Open this year? I was like, my heart. I was so happy for her and she could do it again," she added.

Gauff and Keys have both done fairly well so far at the 2025 French Open, with both Americans comfortably winning their respective first-round matches at the prestigious claycourt Major.

Coco Gauff and Madison Keys registered dominant victories in French Open 1R

Coco Gauff celebrates her first-round win at the 2025 French Open (Source: Getty)

Coco Gauff began her Roland Garros campaign this year with a 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Olivia Gadecki on Tuesday, May 27. It took the 2023 US Open champion just over an hour to get past the Australian.

Gauff was solid on return, managing to break Gadecki in six of the Australian's eight service games. However, the American made seven double faults, which would be a concern going forward. Madison Keys was equally impressive in her first-round clash against Daria Saville, winning the match 6-2, 6-1.

In the second round, Gauff is set to clash against Tereza Valentova, while Keys will lock horns with Katie Boulter.

About the author

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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