Black Girl Magic is real, and Coco Gauff is evidence of this phenomenon.
Born in 2004, Cori Dionne “Coco” Gauff is an American tennis player who comes from an athletic family. According to PEOPLE, her parents, Corey and Candi, were on the road to becoming professional athletes as well. Gauff’s dad, Corey, played college basketball at Georgia State University, while Candi was an accomplished track and field star at Florida State University.
Though the two don’t take full credit for Gauff’s athletic prowess, they acknowledge that their own experiences as athletes provided a solid foundation for understanding the dedication and discipline required to perform at a high level. Their support and guidance have been instrumental in creating the atmosphere for her to succeed.
“I think it helps parents when they have played as high as college or even pro,” Gauff’s father told The New York Times in 2019. “You better understand the process and so you don’t get too jittery about it. You don’t feel like you’re running out of time, so you are not rushed. You kind of meet your kid where they are at.”
Breaking Records And Taking Names
Gauff’s relentless dedication and her parents’ guidance have propelled her to remarkable achievements on the tennis court. In 2019, she made headlines by defeating her role model, Venus Williams, at Wimbledon at just 15 years old. She continued to break records, becoming the youngest player to win the Mubadala Citi DC Open and grabbing her first Grand Slam win at the U.S. Open, both in 2023.
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2023 was not only a huge year for Gauff in terms of athletic accompaniments; she also stacked her coins. According to a TIME magazine profile, the 20-year-old earned almost $23 million in winnings and endorsement deals, making her reportedly the highest-paid female athlete in the world, per Sportico. With these earnings, Celebrity Net Worth has her estimated net worth listed at $3.5 million.
Coco Gauff’s Financial Approach
Her tennis game puts her in the spotlight on the court, but she has also become the face of several brands, cementing her name and cache worldwide. A previous AFROTECH™ report notes that Gauff has several off-court deals contributing to her financial wealth.
Forbes reports that she recently extended a partnership with UPS and has additional sponsorship deals with New Balance, Bose, Carol’s Daughter, and Naked Juice Brands.
Although she is earning a lot from endorsement deals and on-court earnings, Gauff admitted in a separate Forbes interview that she is frugal with her money, but her dad is nudging her to enjoy the fruits of her labor more.
“I was a very frugal person. I always remembered the importance of money, so I just didn’t like to spend it,” she said. “My dad is actually the one that encourages me to spend it a little bit more. Lately, I’ve been going shopping more and just buying things, but I also don’t like to spend a lot of money.”
