Coco Gauff, 19-Year-Old Tennis Phenom and Inspiration to the Black Community
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Posted By: S. Moore on October 13, 2023 Hard work, dedication, persistence, and giftedness are all words that come to mind when describing the talent and athletic journey of Coco Gauff. The 19-year-old tennis player started her professional career in 2018, winning one singles title and two doubles titles in 2019, as well as landing a 29-15 singles record. Her athletic prowess would be amplified that year when she defeated tennis legend Venus Williams at Wimbledon at only 15 years old. One can imagine that the feat was a full-circle moment since the path Gauff has taken mirrors the success of Venus and Serena Williams. This journey has gone on to reach a current career-high during a significant win against Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 U.S. Open. Gauff’s talent and winning personality led her to what some describe as “her moment,” earning $5.6 million from the match, per ESPN. While that number is nothing to scoff at, Gauff’s off-court earnings are catapulting her monetary value to new heights. According to Forbes, Gauff has earned $11.1 million throughout her five-year professional career. During this time, she has also brought in about $12 million from endorsements, business endeavors, and appearance fees. The outlet currently has Gauff as No. 7 on its list of The Highest-Paid Tennis Players, but if her winning trajectory follows the trends of others from the past, she will be climbing up the ranks pretty soon. Still, Gauff’s agent, Alessandro Barel Di Sant Albano of Team8, told Forbes that “winning is first and foremost the most important.” Winning critical matches and moving up in rankings can unlock the interest of donors, sparking opportunities for massive earning potential. Additionally, with Serena Williams’ retirement from a long and noteworthy career, sponsors eagerly await which tennis player to endorse next. And Gauff could be the prime person for those sponsorship deals. Based on an article from The New York Times, Gauff’s career success can lead to an influx of photo shoot opportunities for magazine covers, invitations to A-list events, investment offers, and business deals. Currently, Gauff has a deal with New Balance and tennis racquet maker Head, per Forbes. While she is open to future deals, her team has noted that they want to find opportunities that make sense to who she is and what’s organic for the tennis player, similar to the additional partnerships she has with Barilla, Microsoft, UPS, Bose, and Baker Tilly. With so much in the potential pipeline, Gauff is poised to chart her unique journey while reaching heights that could surpass that of Serena Williams, who has amassed over $340 million in off-court career earnings. “Anytime that you’re compared to Serena, it’s definitely flattering because obviously she paved the way for so many young women to dream big,” Barel Di Sant Albano told Forbes. “But I think Coco would be the first one to tell you that ‘I’m the first Coco, and I want to leave my mark in my own way.'” SOURCE Afrotech If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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