Coco Gauff played in her new signature shoes, created in partnership with New Balance, during her Atlanta Open exhibition match against Taylor Townsend.
Gauff had originally been scheduled to face Leylah Fernandez, last year's US Open runner-up, in the exhibition match. Fans were excited by the prospect of two Grand Slam finalists competing against each other.
Unfortunately, Fernandez did not recover from a foot injury in time for the exhibition. The Canadian has not played since her French Open quarterfinal defeat to Martina Trevisan because of the injury.
However, Towsend was a worthy replacement. She brought her unique blend of firepower and variety to the court in the exhibition. Gauff won the match 6-3, 6-3, but it was entertaining to watch.
The match was also notable for Gauff debuting her new signature shoes. Gauff said having her own shoes in partnership with New Balance was a dream, and she hopes people will wear the shoes and become inspired.
"It's an absolute dream come true to be able to put my stamp on this sport with New Balance and hopefully inspire generations to come. I am really excited to see how people wear this shoe, on and off the court,"
The photo below shows that the shoe contains a wide array of colors. White is the most dominant color, but there is also black along the sides of the shoe and shades of pink and yellow to finish the design.
Gauff said she wanted to create shoes inspired by designs from the 1990s while also being fresh and original. The 18-year-old thinks the shoes modernize elements of the 1990s.
"There's just something freeing about the color palettes and blending of styles in that era that has always stood out to me. I love putting a modern spin on those '90s elements and it's cool to see it coming back with my generation in so many ways."