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Coco Gauff is being called the sport’s ‘biggest star’ — ahead of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Originally posted on HITC | By Liam Llewellyn | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 9:08 AM ET

Tennis today is filled with new faces looking to build their own legacy, following in the footsteps of legends like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

While players like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek have quickly caught the public’s eye, one name is now being talked about as the sport’s biggest attraction.

Coco Gauff stunned by first-round Wimbledon exit

Wimbledon 2025 delivered its first shock early: Coco Gauff, fresh off a French Open triumph just last month, was beaten 6-7, 1-6 by Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

Though the result was far from what was expected, especially following her title run in Paris, Gauff’s profile in the sport remains as bright as ever.

‘She is the biggest star in the sport’: David Law backs Gauff’s global reach

Speaking on The Tennis Podcast, host Catherine Whitaker addressed the challenges Gauff faced in the lead-up to Wimbledon, noting that there’s little time to recover following the French Open and increased media demands after her recent success.

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“There were demands for her media-wise that I don’t think there would be for anybody else in the sport,” Whitaker said. “You can’t really turn down that exposure for tennis, and she’s a huge star.”

Coco Gauff’s reach goes beyond tennis, with global partnerships including deals with Baker Tilly and New Balance highlighting her commercial influence, which already surpasses many peers her age in the sport.

Gauff’s grass-court struggles should not surprise

Grass remains the surface that presents the most hurdles for Gauff. Even setting aside Tuesday’s early exit and her recent slip-up at the Berlin Grass Court Championships, history shows it’s never been her strongest domain.

Across six Wimbledon appearances, she’s twice fallen in the first round and never advanced beyond the fourth round. Her recent Berlin outing ended with a straight-sets loss to Wang Xinyu.

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Now, Gauff will turn her attention back to hard courts, where she’s celebrated her greatest success – including a Grand Slam win at the 2023 U.S. Open. She’ll look to rebound quickly when she competes in the Mubadala Citi DC Open later this summer.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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