Wimbledon tennis: 15-year-old Coco Gauff stuns Venus Williams

United States' Cori Gauff reacts after winning the first set against the Venus Williams. Photo / AP

An American 15-year-old has become Wimbledon's newest star after beating her idol Venus Williams in the first round.

In an electrifying match, Cori 'Coco' Gauff, 15, beat the seven-time Grand Slam singles winner, 39, on Court One - just a week after finishing her exams.

Gauff beat the tennis legend, who had won four of her Grand Slam titles before she was even born, winning both sets 6-4.

The emotional teen, who is the youngest girl in 50 years to qualify for the tournament, revealed after the match that it was the first time she had cried from winning and that Williams gave her some words of encouragement.

Made for the big stage ✨@CocoGauff becomes the youngest player since 1991 to win in the first round of the ladies' singles, beating Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/hfgcQGdZtq

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 1, 2019

This isn't the first time she has come face-to-face with her hero either - when she was eight, Gauff's father managed to get front-row tickets to the U.S. Open and she even got her autograph.

Earlier this week, she had said: "They're great role models for the sport and in general. I'm super excited to play against Venus. I've never practised or hit with either of them.

"My first U.S. Open I went to when I was eight we saw a Venus match, my dad somehow got us front-row tickets. I got her autograph, I was so happy.

"After the match she gave the ball kids one of the balls and he gave it to me — I don't know if she told him to."

Gauff was the youngest U.S. Open junior finalist at 13, and according to Forbes is set to earn $1million (£800,000) from endorsements in 2019.

Her serve is already among the quickest in women's tennis. She reckons her fastest serve was 122mph.

At Wimbledon last year in the women's singles, only two players broke the 120mph mark: Venus and Serena.

"I want to be the best of all time — better than Serena," she added.

"I to hit like her, take the ball early like her.

"I wouldn't say everything is modelled around her but if you watch me play you definitely see little bits of Serena."