Gauff had nearly £1m of sponsorships by age of 15 after ‘aggressive’ bidding conflict
Coco Gauff cemented her standing as a famous person when she lifted her maiden Grand Slam title on the US Open on Saturday evening. In entrance of a house crowd, the 19-year-old stormed again to beat world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6 6-3 6-2. But Gauff has lengthy been tipped for greatness as she had manufacturers bidding to sponsor her earlier than she had even turned 15, signing offers value round £800,000 ($1 million).
Gauff’s US Open victory was the end result of years of onerous work and regular progress up the ranks of the skilled tennis tour. The American is essentially the most skilled teenage Grand Slam champion in years, as 2023 marks her fourth full season on the circuit.
She burst onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2019, changing into the youngest participant within the Open Era to qualify for the principle draw on the age of simply 15. She introduced herself by upsetting Venus Williams within the first spherical earlier than making it to the second week. By the tip of the 12 months, she had gained her first title.
But it appears that evidently even her breakthrough as a 15-year-old wasn’t a shock to some, as sponsors have been knocking on the door earlier than her debut on the All England Club. “The manufacturers, all of them were interested in signing her,” Gauff’s agent Tony Godsick instructed Forbes shortly after that Wimbledon run in 2019.
“This time last summer, there was a very heated and aggressive attempt by multiple companies to sign her. And she ended with New Balance, which was wonderful for her, and she was very excited to sign with a company that doesn’t have so many players.”
Gauff additionally signed on with racket sponsor Head and with Italian meals firm Barilla earlier than her first look at a Major. Along with the New Balance contract, the offers have been value round £800k ($1m).
The Barilla partnership was finalised a number of months earlier than the American stormed into the final 16 at Wimbledon. The world No 3 has been signed to TEAM8 – the company arrange by Godsick and Roger Federer – since she was simply 13 years previous.
Godsick defined that he approached Barilla and touted Gauff as a long-term venture, including: “Certainly when we talked to them about, there was not a thought in their mind, or certainly in our mind, that she would be out in the round of 16 at Wimbledon. We finished the deal in March. So four months later. But it works out sometimes.”
With Gauff now a Grand Slam champion at a brand new career-high singles rating of No 3 – she’s additionally the world No 1 in doubles – there’s little doubt that extra manufacturers can be making an attempt to get in on the hype as {the teenager} goes from star to phenom. But she can be staying loyal to New Balance because the US Open champion referred to as her sponsor “the best shoe brand in the world” during an Instagram Live on Sunday.