“Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me,” echoed a fiery Coco Gauff across the US Open arena 2 years back, words that marked a defining chapter in her young but powerful journey. At just 19, Coco conquered her 1st GS title, rallying from behind to defeat Aryna Sabalenka at the very tournament where she once sat as a wide-eyed girl watching her idols like Serena and Venus Williams. With joyful tears, she embraced her parents and thanked her family, though one brother hilariously missed her post-match FaceTime call. But more than just a win, it was a torch passed, a new American legacy built on the same courts Serena Williams once ruled. And now, Coco invites fans to become part of that legacy from an exciting new opportunity she recently announced. And what’s that?
Coco Gauff’s clay-court season has delivered impressive performances despite some subpar performances earlier, but the elusive title wins have narrowly slipped through her fingers! In Italy, she showcased her resilience by defeating top contenders en route to the final. However, the championship match saw her outplayed by Italy’s own Jasmine Paolini, who delivered a flawless performance to win 6-4, 6-2. Coco, hindered by unforced errors, couldn’t regain control when it mattered most in the championship match.
Earlier in Madrid as well, she fell to Aryna Sabalenka in another hard-fought final. Still, the recently turned 21-year-old remains optimistic as she shifts her focus to Roland Garros; one of the most prestigious stops on tour starts from the 25th of May. And with Paris in her sights, the former US Open winner also unveiled an exciting opportunity for fans to become part of her growing, globally admired legacy.
Just a couple of hours ago, the 9-time singles winner thrilled fans with an exciting announcement on her IG page. Sharing an action shot of herself pointing to her racket along with a preview of a trading card, Coco revealed, “The racket I played with is going into a 1/1 trading card Follow @topps for more details! #ad.” The buzz is centered around the 2024 “Topps Royalty Tennis” debut collection, which recently dropped and features an exclusive lineup of 1-of-1 autographed relics.
Last week, Topps teased fans with a first look at top seed Aryna Sabalenka’s racket knob relic card. Among the American WTA and ATP stars featured are Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, and Taylor Fritz, all boasting 1-of-1 racket knob auto relics. According to Topps RIPPED, Gauff’s card “shows a subtle dent” on the knob, making it a standout piece and potentially one of the most coveted cards in the entire release.
This prestigious collection also features cards from Italian Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, a relic from his impressive 2024 Indian Wells performance, and 2025 Australian Open winner Madison Keys. Even rising star Mirra Andreeva’s relic card, made from a racket used during her historic win at Indian Wells, is expected to spark major demand. As of now, the only recorded sale from the set was a Sofia Kenin ‘1/1 racket knob’ auto relic card that sold for $2,150 on eBay.
And with Roland Garros on the horizon, Gauff, who is eyeing her 2nd GS title, has also addressed her ongoing double fault issue recently, determined to tighten her game before the clay court battles begin next week.
“Something I know I have to improve,” Coco Gauff shared her honest opinion about double faults before Roland Garros
Coco Gauff’s persistent battle with her double faults and unforced errors in court has been a recurring theme in her recent performances. At Indian Wells, she registered 21 double faults and 74 unforced errors in her match against the 23-year-old Japanese ace Moyuka Uchijima, echoing a similar struggle from the 2023 Wuhan Open, where she fell to top seed Aryna Sabalenka despite a promising start.
These issues resurfaced once again during the Italian Open as well, where Coco committed over 70 unforced errors in her SF against 8th seed Zheng Qinwen. In the final versus the eventual winner, Jasmine Paolini, she made 55 errors, mistakes that handed her opponent the edge in the final.
And right after the Rome defeat, Gauff addressed her challenges with refreshing honesty after the loss. “I think for me, I guess, yeah, with the double-faults, it’s something I know I have to improve and do better. If I want to make it to the next level, it’s definitely something I have to improve,” she added in her post-match interview. “Unforced errors? I mean, I was just going for my shots. In the semi, I mean, there is context behind that in the semifinal. The court was super slow… It’s not so easy to hit a winner.”
As the Roland Garros approaches, all eyes are on Coco, who enters as the 2nd seed despite the loss in Italy. After an SF exit last year to Iga Swiatek, the former semi-finalist in France, is eager to break through and claim her 2nd Grand Slam title. However, do you think she can win this time?
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