Coco Gauff: The Story Behind One of Today’s Most Successful Tennis Stars

When it comes to discussing the biggest stars in women’s tennis today, no conversation would be complete without bringing up Coco Gauff. 

Debuting on the ITF Women’s Circuit in 2018 at the young age of 14, she quickly skyrocketed through the ranks to become one of the top 100 players in the world. By 2024, she was headlining the US team’s roster for Olympic tennis. 

Of course, no tennis career is what it is without its ups and downs, and Gauff’s hit a rough patch as of late. In July, she exited the Paris Olympics following a heated discussion with the umpire during her match with Donna Vekic. More recently, Gauff bowed out of the 2024 US Open, ending her title defense after facing off against Emma Navarro. But that’s not going to stop her. 

Thus far, Gauff holds an impressive record of 210-92, as well as a whopping seven career titles. Still relatively young at 20, she has plenty of time to turn the tides and soar to further heights. That’s especially apparent once you take into account the milestones she’s reached, the exposure she’s garnered, and her unstoppable drive, all of which show how far she’s yet to go.

Career highlights

Coco Gauff has undoubtedly accomplished quite a lot, given the relatively short length of her professional playing career thus far. Thanks to the staunch support of her parents—with her father acting as her first primary coach—she ended up training at France’s Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, which is run by Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. Mouratoglou himself sponsored the rising athlete, noting her impressive athleticism and determination to succeed at the sport. That support gave her the formative skills she needed for her explosive entry onto the tennis scene.

In fact, Gauff became a national champion before she even entered the ITF Women’s Circuit. 2014 saw her becoming the youngest winner in the history of the USTA Clay Court National’s 12-and-under category at just 10 years old. When she turned 15, she beat none other than Venus Williams—during her very first Wimbledon Grand Slam singles match, no less. By 2023, she made history with her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, the youngest American woman to do so since Serena Williams in 1999. 

That success stems from the overall attitude Gauff takes when it comes to tennis, which was on full display during her 2019 debut at the WTA. Here, she explained that she places just one goal front and center: to win the current tournament she’s playing in. By keeping her mind on a single objective, she’s able to achieve an unparalleled focus that dictates the strength of her plays—and, given her track record, the success of that strategy is abundantly clear. 

High-profile endorsements

Brand partnerships and endorsements are crucial for professional athletes. By enhancing a player’s exposure to a particular audience, they help athletes build a credible brand image, allowing them to bolster both fan and financial support in ways that can further their careers down the line. Given the high-profile endorsements Gauff has been able to nab at this early stage of her career, it’s no wonder she’s come so far—and, at the same time, she’s also set for future success. 

The tennis player’s early career highs determined the quality of her initial partnerships. In fact, the first multi-year contract she signed was with none other than New Balance. Given how it’s among the biggest brands in the world known for its sports shoes, it’s no wonder that the brand collaborated with Gauff not just to provide her with tournament attire but to come out with footwear specially designed by the athlete. The partnership is still going strong today, with New Balance releasing Gauff’s second signature tennis shoe in August 2024. The Coco CG2 is both fashion-forward and full of sports-heavy design features, including Energy Arc technology, a FuelCell midsole, and an Ndurance multi-court outsole. Gauff’s continuing success and future potential in tennis have also drawn the interest of even bigger brands that don’t necessarily specialize in sports. That’s made especially apparent by her newest partnership with eyewear leader Ray-Ban. 

While the luxury brand is a favorite for casual wear, many of its frames are also functional, with models like the Boyfriend and Frank built with sturdier nylon and titanium frames. Ray-Ban also offers lens polarization options through a variety of retailers, including Glasses.com and its variety of polarized sunglasses. Here, iconic models like the Wayfarer and Aviator compete alongside the likes of the Holbrook and Flak from dedicated sports brands like Oakley. That’s why it’s no surprise that Ray-Ban recently tapped athletes like Gauff to promote more innovative frames like the Ray-Ban Meta. The result of a collaboration with Facebook’s parent company Meta, these smart glasses allow for hands-free communication and media capture—and its endorsement by Gauff allows Ray-Ban to market the eyewear’s unique applications in sports.



Entrepreneurial spirit

Fresh out of her teenage years, Coco Gauff holds the sheer potential to go even further, not just in tennis, but beyond. That’s exemplified by her drive to accomplish more, which extends from tennis to her future aspirations—and, more specifically, to her dreams to someday become an entrepreneur. Following her recognition as one of Time’s Women of the Year for 2024, Gauff found herself inspired after being in the same room as influential personalities like Greta Gerwig and Taraji P. Henson. 

However, she particularly named Serena Williams and Rihanna as her biggest inspirations for a future career shift. Gauff noted how the two women of color successfully achieved superstardom in their respective fields before transitioning to entrepreneurial accomplishments like the founding of Serena Ventures and Fenty Beauty. 

Though she definitely wants to keep her focus on tennis for now, Gauff’s looking at trying a shift to entrepreneurship once she hits her 30s. Given how much she’s accomplished in the mere six years between her 2018 ITF debut and today, the spirit she’s displayed throughout her career shows that she definitely still has so much more to achieve in the decade to come—despite the rough patches she’s going through today. 

[Photo Credit: Carine06]

Coco Gauff · Head tennis · New Balance · US Open

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