Coco Gauff's US Open trophy is kept in a surprising spot
By Lee Vowell
Coco Gauff has become one of the more recognizable faces in professional tennis, and she transcends the sport so much that she is as popular as nearly any men's or women's player. This is a very good thing. Of course, it likely helps that she is American and gets an American audience involved, but she also has a fantastic personality and plays with poise so her popularity would probably happen no matter where she was from.
While Gauff seems as if she has been playing for a decade, she only recently turned 20 years old. When she won her first (and so far, only) Grand Slam at the US Open in 2023, she was only 19 years old. She is ranked No. 3 on the WTA tour and only needs to play a bit more consistently to have a real chance at chasing down Iga Swiatek for the No. 1 spot.
There are things Gauff needs to work on, though. Her serve is extremely inconsistent and her forehand and backhand can be erratic. Her athleticism allows her to run down balls to any corner of the court and keeps her in points and games that she might not otherwise have a chance of winning. But one aspect of her game that might be a bit underrated is that she remains calm during high-stress moments and this means she does not beat herself.
Coco Gauff's US Open trophy is not on display
Gauff also appears quite humble off the court. She is a marketable player because of her smile and class, but she does not shout about winning a major and drawing attention to herself. This probably endears her to more fans. She does not see herself as above the rest of us; she is one of us.
This might be why her trophy for winning the US Open, which, mind you, is not small, is not on full display in the house she lives in with her parents. If you are going to visit Coco Gauff, do not plan on walking in the front door and immediately being thrown in front of a major award. If you want to see the US Open trophy, you might have to hunt for it and Gauff might have to ask where the award is as well.
That is because, according to what Gauff told the US Open recently, the trophy is not on display at all but instead is somewhere in her parents' room in a Tiffany bag. Tiffany and Company do design the trophy, so at least keeping the award in a Tiffany bag makes sense. Still, how humble does Gauff have to be to not even display a trophy that many players in the history of the sport would do anything to have?