Tennis champ Cori Coco Gauff is making a powerful statement about authenticity on and off the tennis court, and she is using her platform to challenge traditional beauty standards. Her rise as a premier athlete has thrust her onto the world stage, earning praise and criticism for every swing, even those that have nothing to do with the sport.
For some, her melanin, natural hair, and raw talent are a trifecta of winning attributes that stir up insecurities. With the sports and fashion worlds colliding, now more than ever, Gauff is among the ranks of athletes who have become bankable models.
Gauff was ranked No. 12 on SportsPro’s 50 Most Marketable list in 2023. That same year, she won her first Grand Slam, making her the second-youngest American player to achieve the feat after Serena Williams’ victory at 17 in 1999.
In 2024, the Georgia native scored her first Vogue cover with the tagline, “GAME, SET, COCO! CHASING PERFECTION.” Some people missed the declaration that Gauff is perfection, not just when she is humbling opponents with a backhand hit.
22-year-old Gauff was silencing the noise of haters during a month-long social media break, when, ironically, those same people were the reason she resurfaced from her hiatus in early April.
The superstar uploaded an eight-minute TikTok serving confidence to everyone who ridiculed her latest campaign promoting Miu Miu’s Vivant bag. She wore a blue skirt, a red shirt, frilly socks, and black penny loafers for the tennis court photo shoot showcasing the purse.
She took an equally minimalist approach to her glam, opting for a loose bun and undetectable makeup for the April 2 Instagram carousel. A critic quipped, “Got her looking like she was in Good Times.”
A discourse about Gauff’s hair took off when fans complained that she should have made herself more presentable, meaning she should have disguised her ethnic hair texture.
The problematic expectation demanded that she be palatable to European beauty standards.
In the video, Gauff explained that she and a member of her social media team crafted a relaxed and relateable look for the photo shoot, which took place in her parents’ backyard. “The creative concept for the bag was to show how it can be used in everyday scenarios,” said the US Open women’s singles winner.
She shared that the casual, low-maintenance style was the same one that earned her compliments during dinner with friends later that evening. In her first swing at detractors, she said, “For people who didn’t ‘like the outfit,’ first of all, it’s Miu Miu; that’s their aesthetic. I love the Miu Miu aesthetic, so if you don’t like it, the girls who get it get it; the girls who don’t, don’t.”
Secondly, Gauff shared, “I did my everyday hair and makeup because that’s what was said to do. I personally don’t like to slick back my hair super sleek because it does damage my hair… I choose to allow my hair to at and present in its 4c self because I do have 4c hair and I don’t want it to be super slicked back.”
Critics will define the moment as Gauff defiantly disobeying society’s unwritten rules on Black women’s beauty, when in reality, she is showcasing unapologetic self-acceptance.
“I’m not gonna apologize for the way that my hair looked because there are other girls who have the exact same hair as me, and I just wanted them to see — feel represented — that your hair is literally fine the way it is,” said the tennis phenom.
Furthermore, the Georgia native remarked, “My hair was good enough for a high-fashion, fashionable brand like Miu Miu… And I’m not gonna apologize for my makeup. I don’t feel the need to put on a full face of makeup to take photos… That day I didn’t want to do it.”
“Y’all did knock a Diva down, I’m not gonna lie. Two days I was feeling rough,” said Gauff, admitting that she’s been “someone who struggles with my looks throughout my life, just being a young Black girl in this world… but Y’all did knock a Diva down, and I feel better than ever.”
Black female celebrities who have experimented with a bevy of hairstyles flooded Gauff with support. Actress Kerry Washington wrote, “You’re amazing. sending you LOVE.”
Atlanta Dream newcomer Angel Reese said, “You are gorgeous QUEEN! love you my girl.” WNBA legend Lisa Leslie commented, “Don’t let this fake world get you down! You’re amazing and beautiful inside and out! Love ya.”
Other fans commented things like, “You’re beautiful as is your hair. Thank you for not accepting the hate. These are colonizer attitudes” and “It’s so exhausting to be a black woman … leave BW alone! You ain’t gotta explain shyt.”
Gauff detailed some of her struggles with her rise to stardom in her 2020 Behind the Racquet article. In it, she wrote about dealing with depression and questioning if she wanted to continue playing tennis. She cited Venus and Serena Williams as idols whose barrier-breaking motivated her to stay the course and break down her own barriers.
