Coco Gauff’s Amazing Tennis Journey: A Rising Star in the Making
The excitement is in the air, and Coco Gauff is truly making waves in the world of tennis. On Thursday night, she confidently defeated Karolina Muchova in a spectacular match, making her the youngest American Open finalist since Serena Williams back in 2001. This win signifies a turning point for Gauff, who, after a bit of a stumble at Wimbledon, has now triumphed in 17 out of her last 18 matches.
Even when faced with challenges, the 19-year-old American sensation showed her mettle against Muchova. The match had a 50-minute delay due to climate change activists, one of whom had glued themselves to the ground. Coco Gauff, ranked sixth, had to go up against a tough opponent in Aryna Sabalenka in the final, set for Saturday. Sabalenka, who clinched the Australian Open earlier this year and achieved the prestigious world No. 1 ranking, is a formidable competitor.
“I genuinely believe I have the maturity and skill to do this now,” Gauff declared during her post-match press conference. “Regardless of what happens on Saturday, I’m truly proud of how I’ve handled myself over these past few weeks.
“Coco Gauff has been hailed as the next great American tennis player for several years now. At the incredibly young age of 13, she made history by reaching the final of the American Open Girls’ event. In 2018, she secured her first junior Grand Slam title at the French Open. Gauff became the youngest world No. 1 junior in history.
Due to age eligibility rules in the WTA tour, her tournament schedule was somewhat limited when she turned 18. Nevertheless, major brands had already taken notice of this young American star. By her 15th birthday, she had already inked sponsorship deals with renowned names like racket maker Head, Italian pasta giant Barilla, and New Balance. She stands as one of the few active athletes with multiple endorsement deals.
Her journey began with Team 8, a sports agency co-founded by Tony Godsick and Roger Federer. The agency currently represents only one other active athlete, 20-year-old Ben Shelton, who is also a semifinalist at the Open. In 2017, Barilla signed Gauff to a five-year deal, five years before she joined forces with Federer and Cincinnati-based SeatGeek, making her the brand’s only other active endorser. Skechers spokeswoman Brooke Henderson and Michaela Shiffrin are the only other current endorsers of the brand.In 2021, Gauff expanded her portfolio of sponsors to include Bose, UPS, and accounting firm Baker Tilly.
New Balance renewed their partnership with her in 2022, effectively making her one of the highest-earning women in sports, a position she’s set to maintain for at least five years. New Balance even introduced a signature tennis sneaker for Gauff last year; she’s the sole active athlete with such an honor from the brand. Gauff also boasts a partnership with Rolex.
Typically, tennis endorsement contracts are performance-based, tied to on-court achievements and world rankings. Gauff is easily projected to earn over $10 million annually from her sponsorships in 2023. In the same year, Gauff took home $5.5 million in career prize money. However, a win on Saturday would push that total to a whopping $11 million.
Gauff’s incredible rise represents a fantastic opportunity both on and off the court. She ticks all the right boxes for marketers – an electrifying playing style, a charismatic personality, and a catchy nickname (“Coco,” her middle name). While Serena Williams remained a dominant figure in the sport for the past two decades, she retired from professional tennis last year.
Serena and her sister Venus collectively hold 30 Grand Slam singles titles and have been part of major endorsement deals together. Since Andy Roddick’s U.S. Open victory in 2003, no other American, male or female, has won more than two Slams. Coco Gauff, however, aims to do much more than just reach finals. As she assured her fans after defeating Muchova, “This isn’t a one-time thing.”