The Antalics family of Reisterstown spent about a week in Paris last month, doing all the usual Parisian things like sightseeing and viewing art. As much as they enjoyed those experiences, the focus of their trip was not rococo, but Coco.

“This was our first international trip for a tennis player,” said mom Mia Antalics, whose young daughters are huge fans of tennis player Coco Gauff and had the unforgettable experience of watching the No. 2 player in the world win the French Open.

The whole trip was centered around the Roland Garros Stadium where the matches were held. “This was tennis first and then Paris,” she said.

Gauff lost in the opening round of Wimbledon on Tuesday, but the Antalics are still reflecting on getting to witness the American player’s victory against Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka. Yes, the games themselves were fun because of the sport itself, but also because of the opportunity Gauff’s success represents.

“It felt really surreal,” Averlin Antalics said. “It was like living in a dream. She’s a hard worker and she’s dedicated. She doesn’t give up.”

Averlin, 14, and Arden, 11, have played tennis since they were about 5 years old. “It’s something we play as a family,” their mother said. “I wanted them to have a foundation to carry through their whole life.”

Mia, who is Black, said she wanted her girls to be inspired by “seeing a young brown girl.”

“She inspires my girls to be better players, but it’s also how she is off the court,” she said. ”I love supporting the idea of having my daughters have someone to look up to. They’re so passioned about the sport, and I want to facilitate in that passion.”

That passion has been solidified by the rare joy of seeing a Grand Slam match in person, surrounded by a very loud crowd. “A lot of people were rooting for Coco,” Arden said.

I am far, far older than the Antalics girls. If you have always grown up seeing people who look like you inhabit every sport and field you dreamed of, you may not understand how momentous it is when that happens. I remember the resistance that the Williams sisters met when they appeared on the tennis scene with bright eyes and beaded hair.

As messed up as the current climate is, it’s hopeful to know that Averlin and Arden have grown up in a world where it’s not odd to see someone who looks like them killing it on the court. “There has always been someone in the mix,” Mia said. “The door has been open. There’s so much opportunity and inspiration for the next generation to say, ‘I can do it, too.’”

The way Gauff handles herself off the court is also admirable. Right after she won the French Open, there was a brief bit of drama when Sabalenka said publicly that Gauff didn’t beat her as much as Sabalenka played poorly. (She has since apologized and the two have danced it out.)

Gauff’s classy response to the incident was an excellent example to set, Mia said. “She didn’t lessen or lower herself. She’s said that she wants to behave in a manner that her brothers can be proud of her. You win some, you lose some. The key is to get out there and to have fun.”

Gauff, now 21, has been famous since she was a teenager and knows the pedestal she’s put on, Mia said. ”She’s inspired young girls and boys of any color who can say ‘I wanna be like her.’”

The Antalics family, which includes dad Christian, saw Gauff play in person once before, when she won 2023’s Mubadala Citi DC Open. But the French Open was by far the biggest deal.

Their next goal is to see Gauff play at the U.S. Open. In the meantime, they’ll be watching from home — through both the wins and losses — still feeling motivated by this young, tenacious woman.

“To be there in a moment of history is so much different than watching it on TV,” Mia said. “Just like Coco saw Serena [Williams] play and said, ‘I want to be great like that,’ this is part of paying it forward, like a sisterhood of tennis with women of color who want to be great, so you can be greater.”