Coco Gauff has established herself as one of the most popular athletes in the world in recent years, and that was proven again when she was featured in a cereal box collection alongside figures like Serena Williams.
Gauff's achievements on the court would be enough to make her a worldwide name. She is a US Open champion, former world No. 2, and won a maiden WTA Finals title at the end of this season.
However, Gauff's story and how she conducts herself make the American even more popular. Gauff was just 15 years old when she progressed to the fourth round of Wimbledon, including a victory against Venus Williams.
Triumphing against Venus was particularly incredible for Gauff because she was one of the world No. 3's idols, along with Venus' even more successful younger sister, Serena Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam titles.
Gauff has spoken openly about both Williams sisters helping her deal with sticking out like a sore thumb as a young woman of color trying to make it in tennis since they were an example to aspire towards.
Venus, who is still not officially retired despite being 44 years old, is now a big fan of Gauff's. The five-time Wimbledon champion admitted she wants the 20-year-old to win every match she plays and regularly watches her matches.
Gauff has also spoken about issues such as women's rights, LGBTQ rights, and racial discrimination. She is also one of the most active players on social media, communicating with her fans several times a week.
All those factors explain why SportsPro ranked Gauff as the most marketable tennis player in the world, finishing ahead of significant names in the sport like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Aryna Sabalenka.
Gauff has been featured in areas outside of tennis on several occasions. For example, she was very excited about being on an alternate cover of an issue of the Marvel comic The Invincible Iron Man.
The latest example of this was Gauff's inclusion in the Wheaties cereal box collection. Serena Williams and legendary gymnast Simone Biles were among the other US athletes featured in the cereal's collection.
Gauff spoke about how happy she was to be featured in the Wheaties collection to NBC New York Sport, mentioning how many role models she has had in her comments about it.
"It is an honor to be on the Wheaties box, especially as the legendary Billie Jean King passes the historic ‘Wheaties Champion’ title onto me. I’ve had so many role models in this sport help guide my professional and personal journey, and I hope to keep empowering the next generation to also work hard and dream big.”
The WTA Finals champion also shared a photo of the Wheaties box with her face on it on social media, saying she loved it.
Despite her success, Gauff remains a humble person. She proved that with her reaction to being on the cereal box, and the 20-year-old is undeniably an outstanding role model for young players already despite being near the start of her career.