Coco Gauff reveals why she wants to continue Serena Williams & Roger Federer's fashion legacy

Coco Gauff has announced a major new fashion collaboration between her long-term sponsor, New Balance, and fashion retailer Miu Miu. Gauff is currently in Rome, preparing for her third-round match against Emma Raducanu in the Italian Open. The 21-year-old former US Open champion has become a magnet for commercial sponsors and brands.

As a result, Gauff has announced that she's no longer with her agents, Team 8, and instead has set up her commercial vehicle, Coco Gauff Enterprises. In 2024, Forbes listed Gauff as the highest-paid female athlete of the year, with $34.4 million in earnings, $25 million of which came from off-court activities. Gauff is seeking to join Roger Federer and Serena Williams as tennis' fashion icons.

Gauff was interviewed by The National this week and discussed the tie-in with New Balance and Miu Miu, which is owned by Prada. At the start of the Rome tournament, Gauff debuted a new match kit created by the partnership and designed in large part by Gauff herself. She told the National:

“I feel like fashion, especially in Gen Z, is very important now. With TikTok trends and all of that. So, I feel like trying to bring that fashion to tennis can bring more people who maybe never heard of the sport, or heard of it but never knew any players other than Serena or Roger."

Gauff went on to say that while her first objective was always to win tennis matches, her on-court look was an important part of her overall package and something she wanted to draw attention to.

"So just getting them to know more niche players. That's, I feel like, my job on the court. And obviously, just doing the best I can. But I like to dress up. So I'm just trying to bring what I'm interested in and hoping other people will be interested as well,” she added.

Coco Gauff's connection to New Balance goes back to the summer of 2022. She was the first female tennis player to have a signature sneaker and only the second player of any gender after Roger Federer.

Coco Gauff has returned to top form after a difficult start to the season

Coco Gauff ended 2024 in top form, winning the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh and the Beijing WTA 1000 title. She played a key part in Team USA's victory in the United Cup in January. Gauff's 2025 then turned for the worse - she lost to Paula Badosa 5-7, 4-6 in the quarterfinals in Melbourne and exited Qatar and Dubai early.

After a poor Sunshine swing, she managed a quarterfinal appearance at the Stuttgart Open but was beaten by Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3. However, she stormed back in Madrid, scoring impressive straight-set victories over teenage superstar Mirra Andreeva and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek. She was well-beaten by World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Both on and off-court, Coco Gauff has a huge future. She told The National that she wants to be a cultural icon as well as a sporting one:

“I think one of my goals, I always said as an athlete, was to bring culture to the sport – not that it's not already there. But I guess bring more culture to the sport.”

Coco Gauff's next opponent in Italy is Emma Raducanu. The pair has trodden similar paths. Gauff was the US Open champion in 2023 at 19, and Raducanu won the same tournament in 2021 as an 18-year-old.