2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff had a lot to say about a now-deleted social media post made by the USTA. The post was made to promote the American players at the Australian Open, which starts Sunday, with cartoon-style artwork.
Gauff, 19, who currently ranks as the world’s No. 4 player, took to Instagram to voice her displeasure. The artwork, which was designed in the style of the cartoon television show “The Wild Thornberrys,” was intended to support the seeded Americans participating in the tournament in Melbourne.
“The art style is cool for a cartoon show but not for a hype post. Foul,” Gauff said in her Instagram story on Sunday, via Matt Walsh of ESPN. She further criticized the depiction for making her and her fellow American players look “ugly.”
“Worst thing I’ve ever seen. … Like a caricature artist decided to make [us] all look like hideous looking people,” she said. “Y’all I know it is a cartoon show but I think I would prefer to be drawn as a Bratz art style and not this. This makes us all look so ugly.”
No. 5 Jessica Pegula, another top-seeded American player and a doubles partner of Gauff, echoed Gauff’s sentiments, responding to her since deleted post on X, formerly Twitter: “Hahahahhaha we are ugly af.”
The controversial artwork featured Gauff alongside Pegula, Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Emma Navarro.
Coco Gauff is set to play her first round at the Australian Open on Monday against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
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