Coco Gauff discussed her shock and happiness at being mentioned in a song by famous rapper Tyler, the Creator, and also said her boyfriend predicted it would happen.
Gauff is in Riyadh for the WTA Finals. The 20-year-old will start her campaign against Jessica Pegula, who she has played doubles with on many occasions, including at this year's Olympics in Paris.
Although Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek's battle for the year-end No. 1 ranking is the biggest storyline surrounding the 2024 WTA Finals, she and Pegula are also fighting for No. 3 and the American No. 1 ranking.
Gauff currently occupies those positions after a successful Asian swing. She won a second WTA 1000 title at the China Open before backing it up with a run to the semifinal of the Wuhan Open.
The 2023 US Open champion is making her third consecutive appearance at the WTA Finals. That is an incredible achievement for someone still so young, even though she has been around for a while since breaking through at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
Becoming a consistent player near the top of the women's game at such a young age while conducting herself superbly on and off the court has increased Gauff's influence and reach worldwide.
SportsPro ranked Gauff as the most marketable tennis player in the world, finishing ahead of huge names in the sport, such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek, and Naomi Osaka.
That shows how much Gauff's impressive level on the court and her advocacy for various good causes off it has resonated with people. To the China Open winner's surprise, one of those people was Tyler, the Creator.
Gauff tweeted with both shock and gratitude after hearing her name in the rapper's song "Thought I was Dead." The lyric with Gauff's name in the song is, 'You ain't Coco Gauff, you can't serve me.'
The world No. 3 was asked about being named in Tyler the Creator's song at a press conference at the 2024 WTA Finals. She admitted to being a fan of him since age 14, making it a particularly special moment for her.
"Yeah, that was crazy. I mean, I've been a fan of Tyler since I was 14 years old. I saw him perform live when I was 15 for the first time. I went to his music festival last year. I have tickets to go again this year. Hopefully he performs that song. It would be pretty cool to see that live."
"That was really cool. I was not expecting it. It was crazy, because, like, he DM'd me congratulations over China Open. We never talked or anything before. He liked my photo or something when I won US Open."
"Then my boyfriend is like, Watch, he's going to drop you in a song. I was like, Yeah, that would be insane. That's never going to happen. Three weeks later it happened. I was like, Can he see into the future or what?"
Gauff's name being used by such a famous artist shows how well-known she is. The 20-year-old has an opportunity to end her career as one of the most iconic sportspeople in the U.S. if she keeps improving and being a great role model.