circleDon’t be afraid to get wild with ideas.
This advice comes from tennis star Coco Gauff.
“I think delusion is a great thing,” Gauff said. Forbes“All great athletes and all great artists have to have a little bit of insanity and delusion. It’s kind of healthy to have a little bit of insanity in your goals.”
The 20-year-old Gauff, ranked No. 2 in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association, is following her own advice to expand her business outside of tennis. Gauff spoke about her portfolio as she prepared for Wimbledon, where she reached the third round before losing to Emma Navarro, seeded No. 19, on Sunday. Gauff suffered the loss after winning the women’s doubles title at the French Open in June with Katerina Siniakova, ranked No. 27. The win earned her approximately $641,000.
After Wimbledon, Gauff will compete in the Paris Olympics before defending her U.S. Open women’s singles championship in New York. Forbes Gauff is estimated to earn $21.7 million in 2023, the third-highest earning among female athletes.
In between tennis matches, Gauff has to juggle other commitments.
On Tuesday, she expanded her partnership with shipping giant UPS to launch a campaign to support small businesses. Remember Me vs. The Daughters, The promotion shines the spotlight on Gen Z entrepreneurs who have overcome obstacles to run profitable businesses. UPS trades on the New York Stock Exchange and has a market capitalization of $117 billion.
Inspired by anime, Coco Gauff incorporates her love of anime into a UPS campaign to inspire small business owners. “I love that fictional things have real-world relevance,” she says of the Japanese-style manga.
Photo courtesy of United Parcel Service
“I realized a lot of the (negative) things that are said to small business owners are also said to athletes,” said Gauff, who earns $15 million off the court in 2023. Forbes Quote: She works with the following companies:
- New Balance
- Bose
- Carol’s Daughter
- Naked Smoothie
“I like to partner with extensions of myself,” Gauff said.
Establishing a “timeless” empire
Raised in Atlanta, Gauff began playing tennis at an early age, turned professional at age 14 and had a surprising run at Wimbledon in 2019, defeating Venus Williams in the first round. Last year, Gauff won her first Grand Slam title, the U.S. Open.
Naturally, the win caught the attention of corporate partners and offers flooded in, but Gauff has turned down most of them, instead opting to limit brand deals to avoid burnout.
“Tennis is my number one priority,” Gauff said. “Anything that gets in the way of that has to stop.”
But Gauff knows that more wins mean more business, and when asked what legacy she would like to leave behind off the court, she pointed to her 2008 Wimbledon tournament.
Roger Federer before his first round match against Dominic Hrbaty at Wimbledon in 2008.
Corbis via Getty Images
Gauff recalls that tennis star Roger Federer was distinctively dressed for the tournament. Before the match, Federer wore a cream-colored cardigan sweater with dark gold trim from his collar to the bottom button of his shirt. The bold fashion statement stunned the London crowd, and more importantly, it symbolized how Gauff wants to shape her post-tennis venture.
“It’s one of those things that is timeless,” Gauff said of Federer’s outfit. “No matter who you look at, no matter how old you are, it’s always going to be iconic. I want what I do to look timeless, not just on the court, but off the court as well.”
Capital gain: Watch the video to find out more about how Coco Gauff builds her business and why she saves money.
