In 2023, Coco Gauff walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium to face 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva, and the crowd couldn’t help but think, how could both players be so young, yet so composed? However, at 19, Gauff was already a veteran with a Grand Slam final under her belt.
Once a wide-eyed teen chasing every point like it was life or death, she had grown into a poised competitor. But what did her path to glory by 21 look like?
Coco Gauff turned professional in 2018. She was just 14. However, her path to stardom began long before. She was inspired by the Legendary Serena Williams’ victory at the 2009 Australian Open and picked up a racket at 5. Three years later, she scored a win at the “Little Mo” 8-under nationals, proving her potential.
Gauff’s professional debut began at the 2018 ITF event in Florida, where she earned her first pro win. However, in 2019, the WTA star truly embarked on the global stage. As a 15-year-old qualifier at the British Slam, she made history as the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the main draw through qualifying. Her R32 victory over Venus Williams made headlines, proving Gauff’s growing form in the sport.
She reached Wimbledon’s fourth round and followed it up with a title run at the Linz Open, becoming the youngest WTA singles champion since 2004. In 2020, she continued to surprise people, overpowering the defending champion Naomi Osaka at the Australian Open, making her the youngest player in over 30 years to defeat a top 5 player at a Grand Slam.
By 2021, Gauff broke into the Top 30 and reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Roland Garros, the youngest American to do so since Jennifer Capriati. That year, she also claimed her first WTA 1000 doubles title with Caty McNally and continued excelling in both singles and doubles. In 2022, she entered the French Open final, finishing runner-up, and reached the WTA No. 1 doubles ranking, winning the Canadian Open with Jessica Pegula.
Her spotlight moment truly arrived in 2023, when she bagged her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. That victory made her the youngest American woman to do so since Serena Williams in 1999. That same summer, she won two more titles, the WTA 500 in Washington, the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati (beating Iga Swiatek), and cemented her skill on hard courts.
Her spotlight moment truly arrived in 2023, when she bagged her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. That victory made her the youngest American woman to do so since Serena Williams in 1999. That same summer, she won two more titles, the WTA 500 in Washington, the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati (beating Iga Swiatek), and cemented her skill on hard courts.
Gauff continued her fiery spirit in 2024. She claimed her first Grand Slam doubles title at the Roland Garros with Katerina Siniakova. The WTA star also made headlines as the youngest athlete to be a flag bearer for Team USA at the Paris Olympics, besides LeBron James. She ended the year on a high by winning the WTA Finals, becoming the youngest champion since Maria Sharapova in 2004 and the first American to win the event in a decade.
Coco Gauff’s endorsement journey began in 2018. At 14, she signed a deal with New Balance, and their partnership grew significantly over the years. With New Balance, she launched her signature tennis shoe, the CG1. Around the same time, Gauff also partnered with Head, using their Graphene 360 Speed MP racket as she rose through the ranks.
In 2019, at 15, the WTA star joined forces with American Eagle. Their simple brand ambassadorship blossomed into a deeper collaboration in 2022, when Gauff helped launch the Coco Gauff x AE collection under their “Live Your Life” campaign. The WTA star later brought Barilla, the Italian pasta brand, and UPS, the global logistics company, into her roster.
In 2024, Gauff expanded her portfolio even further, signing deals with Carol’s Daughter, a natural hair care brand that celebrates diversity, Fanatics, a sports merchandise leader, and Naked Juice, a wellness-focused beverage brand.
Coco Gauff will play her second French Open final against Aryna Sabalenka today.
