Coco Gauff’s name was used during a song by the famous American rapper Tyler, the Creator, and the WTA star reacted to the news on social media.
Gauff is currently enjoying a few weeks without playing any tournaments. She will end her season at the WTA Finals, which start on November 2nd, after deciding to skip the Billie Jean King Cup Finals the week after.
The 2023 US Open champion played her first two tournaments since splitting from Brad Gilbert during the Asian swing. She enjoyed immediate success with new coach Matt Daly, winning the second WTA-1000 tournament of her career at the China Open in Beijing.
Gauff backed that up the following week with a run to the semifinal of the Wuhan Open. Despite dominating the first set against Aryna Sabalenka, she missed out on the final after hitting 21 double faults in that match.
Those early signs with her new coach are positive, but a good or a bad run of results will not change what a huge sports star Gauff has become, especially in her native United States of America.
Since breaking through during a run to the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2019 as a 15-year-old, massive expectations have been placed on Gauff’s shoulders, with many predicting she was destined for greatness.
She has managed that pressure superbly in the last five years. Many teenagers would have found the constant media scrutiny too much, but Gauff handled everything excellently.
Now 20 years old and a Grand Slam champion, Gauff is one of the best-known athletes in the world. SportsPro ranked her as the most marketable tennis player, ahead of figures like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Gauff’s status as a public figure known worldwide was demonstrated by Tyler, the Creator, one of the most influential American rappers of the 21st century, mentioning the world No. 3 in his latest song.
The song is ‘Thought I Was Dead,’ and Gauff’s name is mentioned in the opening stages when the artist says: ‘You ain’t Coco Gauff, you can’t serve me!’ After finding out, she posted on X (formerly Twitter), expressing her delight at being referenced in the rapper’s work.
“Waking up to my name being mentioned in a tyler song… absolutely insane . thank you @tylerthecreator#Chromakopia.”
This is not the first time Gauff’s name or image has been used in broader pop culture outside of tennis, and it is likely to continue happening in the future because of the long career still ahead of the young star.
In June of last year, Gauff was featured on a variant cover of the comic book Invincible Iron Man #7. She appeared on the cover alongside Iron Heart, AKA Riri Williams, a 15-year-old African American character with a similar suit to Iron Man.
Gauff’s being considered for the cover of a comic book alongside a strong African American character shows that she is viewed as an inspiration for being so successful as a black woman in a predominantly white sport.
The 20-year-old has spoken about Serena Williams and Venus Williams helping her to handle sticking out like a sore thumb, and she undoubtedly does the same for many across the U.S. and worldwide.
