FCI Staff Writer Sacramento 
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November 13, 2024,
You’ve heard it before.
Now, America’s Coco Gauff is going to make sure that you hear it again. Are you listening? Especially those who doubted her after an up and down 2024 year. Ready?
It is not how you start, it is how you finish.
We certainly got the point.
As reported by the global sports and news leader espn.com, “there were ups-and-downs along the way, she finished the season just as she started, with another victory, by winning the WTA Finals at the year-end event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”
Given where Coco was earlier in the year, especially by her high standards, having a disappointing performance at the 2024 US Open and not winning a Grand Slam during the year, her 2024 ending reigns supreme.
For those who doubted her, isn’t having success and living well the best revenge? Coco seems to think so. At the legendary sports magazine si.com they share, “The 20-year-old American superstar entered the WTA Finals as the World No. 3. She defeated the top two players, one-seed Aryna Sabalenka and two-seed Iga Swiatek, before eventually knocking off Qinwen Zheng, in the finals to win the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”
The article goes on to share how Coco took to her social media, “lol safe to say I beat the bad season allegations.” Indeed. So, athletic super stars do read, think about and are impacted by what their critics think. Well, Coco appears to be happy to let her critics know what she thinks.
We think she has had a brilliant career. Time for some basics.
Coco has a career-high WTA rankings of world No. 2 in singles and of world No. 1 in doubles.
She has won nine WTA Tour singles titles, including the 2023 US Open and 2024 WTA Finals, and nine doubles titles, including the 2024 French Open.
Gauff made her WTA Tour debut in March 2019 at the Miami Open at the tender age of 15.
She reached her first major final in women’s doubles at the 2021 US Open and reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the 2022 French Open. In 2023, Gauff won her first WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open and her first Major singles title at the US Open.
Coco stated in 2020 that she had experienced depression and stress related to her sporting career and it is wonderful after a 2024 year end surge, she is not feeling that now.
This is certainly helping the young star to feel better as well.
In October 2018, Coco signed her first multi-year sponsorship contract, with New Balance.
In March 2019, Gauff announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with Italian food company Barilla, which also sponsors Roger Federer.
In January 2023, Gauff was announced as a brand ambassador for advisory CPA firm Baker Tilly US, LLP.
In January 2024 at the Australian Open, Gauff debuted a new New Balance pair of shoes with geographical coordinates specially inscribed on the soles. She revealed in a post-match interview that the coordinates (26 28 0.75” N 80 5’ 1.4” W) pointed to public tennis courts in Delray Beach where she grew up and trained. Now, most impressive.
Drum roll please.
Summarized beautifully at tennis.com, “Gauff surpasses $20 million in career prize money. The 2023 US Open champion came into the tournament with $16,776,989, and with her record-setting winner’s cheque of $4,805,000, she soars past that milestone to $21,581,989.”
As we stated earlier, it is not how you start, it is how you finish.
In other tennis news.
Patrick McEnroe Impact Award Honoree along with Regional Honorees at USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation 2024 Annual Tennis Creates Gala
News provided by
Oct 30, 2024, 09:43 ET
Making a difference in the Mid-Atlantic for over a hundred years
HERNDON, Va., Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation Tennis Creates Gala (https://tenniscreatesgala.com/) will be held Saturday, December 7th at the Salamander Hotel in Washington, DC, and will celebrate the Foundation’s commitment to fostering Community, Character, and Well-Being across the Mid-Atlantic region. The evening, presented by Onelife Fitness, will support their philanthropic efforts to fund impactful programs that make tennis accessible, helping to improve the health and well-being of the Mid-Atlantic region.
Patrick McEnroe, President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, will receive the 2024 Tennis Creates Impact Award for his significant contributions to the sport from his achievements as a player and Davis Cup captain, to his influential work in the media, shaping how fans experience and understand the impact of tennis. As President of the Tennis Hall of Fame, Patrick has further cemented his role as a steward of tennis history, ensuring the sport’s legacy and its greatest champions are celebrated and preserved for future generations. His leadership and dedication have left an indelible mark on the tennis community.
Six exceptional Mid-Atlantic honorees will be recognized for their dedication to tennis and its impact on the region. These awards celebrate those who embody the Foundation’s guiding principles and continue to contribute to the growth and vibrancy of tennis in the area. The winners were chosen from a pool of inspiring nominees across the region, each with a compelling story of leadership, community service, and passion for sport. Their remarkable efforts have supported tennis and enhanced the lives of those in their communities. Honorees are: Luke Grimshaw, Community Champion; Black Girls Tennis Club, Provider Champion; Alexandre Kroely, Youth Leader; Jen Kaine, Adult Leader; Julius Mashonganyika, Tennis in the Classroom; and Gordon Macgill, Coach of the Year.
Hosted by Nicole Ari Parker and Boris Kodjoe, professional actors and passionate philanthropists, the black-tie optional evening will feature entertainment by DCs own, The Moonlighters, along with an All-Star VIP cocktail reception, gala dinner, live and silent auction, and will play host to many DC and sports dignitaries.
Gala Co-Chairs Maria and Kirk Galiani and Lee and Henry Fonvielle, local business leaders and philanthropists, are ardent supporters of the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation, with unwavering commitment to advancing the mission of the foundation and tennis community in the Mid-Atlantic region.
For over a century, the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation has been committed to growing tennis across the region to impact the health and wellness of Mid-Atlantic communities, championing healthier lives by making the sport accessible to ALL. With more than 1.2 million people playing tennis today in the region and another 1.3 million interested in the game, they are leading the way to increase access to the sport and chart a course for the next 100 years.
About USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation:
USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the Mid-Atlantic and how USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation creates community, character, and well-being.
For more information, please contact: Jon Gunter | 703-556-6120 Ext. 7007 or jgunter@mas.usta.com
SOURCE USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation
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OPENING PHOTO Shutterstock-lev-radin-photo-credit-Editorial-use fcielitecompetitor.com, fciwomenswrestling2.com, femcompetitor.com, grapplingstars.com fcielitecompetitor.com
https://www.si.com/onsi/serve/news/coco-gauff-slams-haters-on-social-media-after-wta-finals
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coco_Gauff
https://www.fciwomenswrestling2.com
https://www.fcielitecompetitor.com/
https://fciwomenswrestling.com/
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