The world’s highest paid female athlete has been named the “Style Influencer of the Year”. Let’s uncover who is Coco Gauff, what are her most remarkable tennis statistics and what fashion house is she representing?

Who is Coco Gauff?

The current number 3 in women professional tennis is just 21 and her full name is Cori Dionne Gauff. She started playing tennis at 6, and at age 19 she won her first major title, The US Open. Coco was born on March 13, 2004 in Florida, USA. She came from a family of collegiate athletes: her father played basketball for Georgia State University, while her mother was a track athlete for Florida State University.

Her parents were not the only ones who had a strong impact on the girl. Coco Gauff always searched for inspiration from the Williams sisters, they made her want to become a professional tennis player. She was following the famous sisters step by step. At the age 10, Coco Gauff was trained in the academy led by an ex-trainer of Serena Williams – Patrick Mouratoglou. There was more to come. 

Tennis statistics

At the age of 15 Gauff came face to face during the Wimbledon match with her life-long inspiration – Venus Williams. Important to say that Coco claimed an unforgettable win over her role model. Her accomplishments did not stop there. A website dedicated to sport has listed Coco Gauff in the top-10 fastest women’s serves. In the list, Gauff is number 7, right after Serena Williams. The young player’s fastest serve’s speed was 205,5 km per hour (2022 US Open). Which is only 2 km less than Serena William’s fastest serve. Moreover Forbes listed Coco Gauff as one of the “America’s Most Powerful Women in Sports 2025”. It turned out that Cori Dionne Gauff  is the world’s highest-paid female athlete today. 

Coco Gauff aims for equality

Coco Gauff is not just an inspiring tennis athlete, she is an advocate for equality and human rights, especially when it comes to women and young girls. Gauff never hesitated to raise her voice upon social problems. A couple of months ago she advocated for social media to take action against online abusers towards athletes. She makes her values unmistakably clear, saying that “In order to want to have change, you have to see it”. Gauff believes that sport acts as a bridge between different cultures, helping to uncover more and share her values with different audiences .

A fashion icon

She impresses on the court with her talent and on the same court with her fashion. When she was just 14, Coco signed a contract with New Balance. Since 2018 the brand and the player have been inseparable. In April 2025 she took things a step further by launching a Miu Miu x New Balance capsule collection. The collection has been worn by Coco Gauff in tournaments in Rome, Berlin and Cincinnati. Off the court Coco Gauff was also often dressed in Miu Miu. She was seen wearing Miu Miu’s from head to toes both during her celebration of the Roland Garros cup and during her interview with Jimmy Fallon.

The Style Influence of the Year

FN Achievement Awards, which has often been named as “Shoe Oscar”, honors the standout stars, brands, and stories of footwear. The event itself will be hosted on 3 of December, but some nominees have already been announced. Coco Gauff is one of them. The “Shoe Oscars” named her “The Style Influencer of the Year”. We are not wondering why the choice fell on her. Coco is a natural fit for the title: as a New Balance and Miu Miu ambassador with a strong presence on the social media, she demonstrates a glamorous and authentic style in her footwear on and off the court. 

Wondering what Coco Gauff will wear to the awards? The brand is already set, let’s wait for the next fashionable statements.