U.S. Open Champ and Phenom Coco Gauff represents a new era of American Tennis

“If you can think it, you can do it. If you can dream it, you can do it. Just keep working hard. It won't come easy, and it will seem impossible; but if you keep working hard, it will definitely happen.” - Coco Gauff Tennis is a sport that has been historically dominated by white athletes.

- Marc H. Morial

However, the sport has since been experiencing a massive shift. Today, young Black athletes, exemplified by the prodigious Coco Gauff, are not just participating--but also shining on the world’s largest stages. Their rise not only redefines the face of American tennis but also challenges long-standing narratives around race and sports.

Remembering tennis greats like Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson, we celebrate their unforgettable spirit and the legacy they left behind. These pioneers battled racial prejudice, both subtle and overt, to carve out their places in the archives of tennis history. Their stories are the epitome of courage, perseverance, and resilience.

Ashe and Gibson blazed new trails in sports and in social justice. Coco Gauff is who they blazed them for.

It’s fitting that Gauff won the U.S. Open as the nation celebrates 50 years since it became the first of the Grand Slam tournaments to offer equal prize money to men and women. Billy Jean King, who spearheaded the boycott that led to equal pay, said, “She's the reason we fought so hard 50 years ago.”