“I always try to use my platform for good and bring attention to issues that are important to me.”Īt the same time, Gauff is a down-to-earth teen who recently graduated from high school and is beloved by fans when she talks about trying to get her driver’s license or posts joyous cap-and-gown photos after her high school graduation. “I had so many great role models when I was growing up and if I can be that for young fans today, then I see that as a privilege,” she says. Inspired by Venus and Serena Williams and her dad’s encouraging quote, she takes her position as a young, Black, female leader seriously and wants to inspire others. Off the court, Gauff has emerged as a powerful voice of her generation on racial justice, gun violence and LGBTQIA+ rights. Lately, I have been picking my outfits out based on what shoe I want to wear that day.” “I absolutely think it is a way to express your creativity and vibrancy. “I love how fashion is a form of self-expression,” she says. As a full-time remote student and an athlete who analyzes biometric data to improve her game, Gauff understood the power of digital technology in creating opportunities.
Last year, she partnered with Microsoft to help expand computer education for kids at a nonprofit in her hometown of Delray Beach, Florida. The work was part of Gauff’s emerging influence and expression on issues ranging from fashion to business to advocacy. “Coco is an incredible partner on the court and off,” says Evan Zeder, New Balance head of Tennis Sports Marketing. “She had great ideas that not only fed the creative juices of our designers but allowed her shoe to really stand out on the shelf.” (Her dad played basketball her mom ran track). The shoe’s left toe features the location coordinates of Pompey Park, while the right toe contains her dad’s motto, “You can change the world with your racket.” Gauff’s signature appears on the tongue, her brothers’ names are on the laces, and images of a basketball and a winged foot honor her parents’ college sports. The vibrant blend of pink, purple and orange reminds her of sunsets in Miami. One of the initial colorways, Pompey, is named after the park where Gauff learned to play tennis. The collaboration resulted in a technical, stylish tennis shoe full of personal details. They brought so many ideas, suggestions and helpful insights not only on the design side, but the performance side as well.” “I don’t think the meeting would have been as successful if we didn’t have that capability,” she says. “The New Balance team made the whole process really fun. The technology enabled her to see colors, materials and inspirational fashion photos, as well as ask questions and give feedback.
To kick things off, the group held a large Teams meeting that Gauff projected on a big screen in the sports bar her dad owned. Through video calls on Microsoft Teams, she was able to share colorful mood boards, watch the shoe take shape and fully collaborate on the design process even though she was working in Florida during the pandemic and the team of designers was in Boston. A Microsoft partner since 2019, she used her Surface laptop to switch from attending online classes to looking at training data to taking business calls. It will truly be surreal to see people wearing my signature shoe.”įor two years, Gauff squeezed design meetings between training, homework and travel with help from her tech tools. “I don’t think it has hit me how monumental this moment is.
“I am so excited for everyone to finally see it,” Gauff says. Coco Gauff wears her signature shoe in the DigiCoco colorway. While still in high school, Gauff worked with New Balance to design the mid-top, vintage-looking shoe with vibrant colors and personal motifs inspired by her life. The ‘90s-inspired Coco CG1 shoe is a major milestone in Gauff’s young career, placing her among the elite, few athletes who have their own sneaker. She’s a thoughtful role model, entrepreneur and fashion influencer - all on display with the release of her new signature shoe just ahead of her appearance in the U.S. She channels her enormous fame toward social good, from supporting her small hometown in Florida to speaking powerfully at a Black Lives Matter event. 12 in singles, and has become the youngest top 50 player in the world.īut Gauff is equally impressive off the court. At 15, she was the youngest-ever qualifier at Wimbledon in modern history, where she defeated Venus Williams. At 13, she was the youngest player to ever reach the U.S. In her dazzling rise from tennis prodigy to global star, Coco Gauff has racked up the superlatives.
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