Teen sensation Coco Gauff has proven that she will be at the top of American tennis for the long haul.
Even at just 18 years old, Gauff has proven to be one of the most mature and fearless competitors on tour.
Whether it’s Gauff’s striking forehand or potent backhand, the New York crowd is going to love to cheer the Floridian on in August.
As the 2022 U.S. Open begins today, with Gauff facing Leolia Jeanjean, here are five things you should know about Coco Gauff:
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Coco Gauff is the youngest, highest-ranked woman in the top 75
Coco Gauff turned 18 years old in March and the No. 12-ranked sensation has plenty of time to keep moving up.
The only person in the top 100 who is younger than Gauff is No. 87-ranked Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, who is 17.
More from the U.S. Open
In June, Gauff became the youngest finalist at the French Open since 2001. She fell in the final to Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
Coco Gauff created her own shoe with New Balance
Coco Gauff has been the face of New Balance tennis for a few years now.
Gauff designed her own tennis shoe called the Coco CG1, which aims to express “the qualities that make an individual stand out from the crowd in their chosen field.”
Coco Gauff is vocal about political issues
Coco Gauff attended a George Floyd protest in her hometown of Delray Beach, Fla. in June 2020.
The teen also delivered a moving speech encouraging the public to use their platforms to raise awareness and educate, no matter the size of their audience.
During the French Open, Gauff also wrote “End Gun Violence” on camera after her semifinal win.
Both of Coco Gauff’s parents were collegiate athletes
Coco Gauff's father, Corey, played college basketball at Georgia State University and went on to work in health care.
Her mother, Candi, was a track and field athlete at Florida State University and worked as an educator.
Growing up, Gauff played many sports including basketball and track, but ultimately fell in love with tennis.
Coco Gauff missed the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics due to COVID-19
In July 2021, Coco Gauff was invited to Tokyo to represent the U.S. in her first Olympics.
Unfortunately, a couple of weeks later, she revealed she tested positive for COVID-19 and could no longer attend the Games.
