At 19, Coco Gauff is a multimillionaire, thanks to her outstanding talent and on-court success. But how does the teenage phenom spend her green buck?
Maybe it's worth getting to know Gauff's humble beginnings in tennis. Gauff turned pro in 2018 at a $25,000 ITF tournament in Osprey, Florida. It didn't take long before she announced herself on the most sacred stage in tennis.
At the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, Gauff, then 15, stormed the qualifying draw and upset seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the first round.
That tournament offered a glimpse of her precocious talent. She would reach the fourth round of Wimbledon that year, losing to eventual champion Simona Halep. It was far from her first full season on the WTA Tour, but she still bagged a maiden title at Linz later that season.
She has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years and a week ago, Gauff fulfilled her teenage promise by winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open. Gauff earned a paycheck worth $3 million, taking her career prize money beyond the $10 million mark.
But Gauff's off-court income accounts for a large portion of her earnings. According to Forbes, Gauff was the seventh highest-earner among all active tennis players in the past 12 months (September 2022 - August 2023), making an impressive $12 million away from the court, ranging from endorsement deals, appearance fees, and licensing.
In a recent live on Instagram, Gauff joked that she doesn't have to think about paying off debts with the prize money earned at the US Open, crediting her parents for steering her clear of such financial commitments. She intends to buy a house of her own when she turns 21 but still lives at home with her parents.
As reported by Insider.com, Gauff revealed that she's always instilled a culture of saving her money instead of being materialistic. When she earned her first Grand Slam paycheck, she thought of buying herself a car before her father bought her one and ultimately ran out of ideas.
"I don't like to spend money. When I had my first Grand Slam check, I wanted a car but my dad had already bought it and, I don't know what to buy now."
"There's nothing crazy materialistic that I really want. I'm very satisfied with all that I have. I don't want anything crazy. I always said when I won my first Grand Slam I would do a crazy purchase. But I don't really have anything that I really want to buy, so."
When Gauff was quizzed on how extravagantly she would flex her wallet after winning the US Open, she hilariously mentioned of buying a burger. But further highlighted the need to go on a vacation, one that would break the tennis cycle and allow her to completely switch off. Gauff also intends to reward her coaches handsomely for being the backbone of her success.
"I've never had a real vacation, to be honest. Every time I've gone out of the country, it's never been a vacation. It's always been for work. So I've never had a real trip."
0 Comments