'Anything is possible...just continue to dream big': Gauff takes lessons from Wimbledon

LONDON, Great Britain - The book closed on a fairytale Wimbledon on Monday, but Coco Gauff's story is just beginning.

The 15-year-old American captivated both sides of the Atlantic with a stunning run to the sweet 16 as a qualifying wildcard over the past three weeks, but saw her fortnight end at the hands of No.7 seed Simona Halep in straight sets. 

Read the match report: Halep ends Gauff's fairytale run to reach Wimbledon QF

Experiencing something new in her fledgling career almost daily over the past three weeks, the teenager was succint in defeat as she tried to summarize the whirlwind start to her summer. 

"I learned a lot. I learned how to play in front of a big crowd. I learned what it was like to be under pressure. I learned a lot and I'm really thankful for this experience," Gauff said.

"I had a lot of fun. I still had fun out on the court today even though I was losing. I don't know how to describe how I feel now because, like, the match is still freshly new. We'll see how I feel in a couple hours.

"I lost second round of qualifying in Paris [at the French Open]. Now, I made it to the second week. I'm super proud of myself. I'm excited to see what I'll do at US Open and the next couple tournaments coming up."

The World No.313 went from a promising talent in her Grand Slam main draw debut, to an international sensation in a matter of days - so much so that her thrilling third-round comeback over Polong Hercog on Centre Court was reported to have drawn in over five million viewers on BBC.

"It's amazing. I kind of don't know how the rest of the world reacted because I'm still in London. Even with all that's going on, I still felt I was in a bubble," she said.

"I've just been going to tournament, hotel, tournament, hotel because I've been finishing so late, but I'm excited to go home now and see my family. I saw a video, they were saying they were so proud of me. That kind of makes me happy."

Among those to congratulate Gauff on her incredible run included a host of American celebrities and influencers, and former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama.

Related: ‘A tennis superstar was born’ – Praise pours in for Wimbledon sensation Gauff

Gauff reflected on her viral fame: "It meant a lot to me because I've looked up to her [Michelle Obama] for a long time. She's such a role model. I mean, I was really shocked. I wasn't expecting that. That was probably one of the least expected.

"I don't even know who I was expecting from. Some of the celebrities that tweeted me I didn't even know followed tennis. They probably don't follow tennis, but...I don't know, it's crazy how big this has gotten."

Set to rise into the Top 150 as a result of her Wimbledon exploits, nearly cutting her ranking in half, the teenager has only one way to go: up.

On the court, however, she remains unsure of where she'll play next, but seems to be a sure bet to feature in the year's final Grand Slam in New York one way or another. 

"I don't know my schedule right now because I wasn't expecting to be here, but my next goal would be to win the next tournament I play. I don't know what the next tournament will be. We'll see what happens. Hopefully I'll be playing some tournaments in the US Open Series," she said.

"I mean, like I said, if somebody told me this maybe three weeks ago, I probably wouldn't believe it. I think just putting in the work definitely raised my confidence because I knew how hard I worked and I knew what shots I could make and what was possible.

"I'm only 15. Like, I've not nearly gotten [to] develop my game. I started tennis at six. I'm so excited to see, if I continue to work hard, what other success I can do in the future.

"It was really surprising because you don't really expect this kind of support when you're in another country, not your home country. I really did feel like I was probably playing in New York somewhere. I'm just really happy and happy that people believe in me.

"I hope they learned about me that I'm a fighter. I'll never give up. I hope they learned from me that, I mean, anything is possible if you work hard, just continue to dream big."

Related: In photos - How Coco Gauff became a Centre Court star