Coco Gauff’s Investment in Unrivaled and Her Enthusiastic Debut as a Spectator
Coco Gauff has long expressed her love for basketball, and she recently took a significant step in supporting the sport by investing in Unrivaled, a newly established women’s basketball league in the United States. While the league’s inaugural season began on January 17, Gauff officially made her debut appearance at a match on Saturday—not as a player, but as a spectator.
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Although Gauff is not part of any of the six teams competing in Unrivaled, she attended a game to show her support. On Instagram, she shared pictures and videos from her experience, including a snapshot with American basketball star and close friend Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever. Boston is currently playing for Vinyl, one of the teams in the league. Gauff attended Vinyl’s matchup against Mist, dressed in a stylish blue denim outfit. Before the game, Boston posted a picture with Gauff on social media, captioning it “the queen herself 👑,” to which Gauff responded, “Two queens 👑.”
During the game, Gauff was warmly acknowledged by the event’s announcer and was seen signing autographs for fans. However, despite her friendship with Boston, Gauff was spotted cheering for Napheesa Collier of the Lunar Owls. In the end, Collier’s team secured a 75-73 victory over Laces. Gauff later took to her X (formerly Twitter) account to encourage fans to tune into Unrivaled, stating, “If you’re not turning into unrivaled you’re missing out.”
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Coco Gauff’s Passion for Basketball and Her Father’s Influence
Although Gauff is primarily known for her tennis achievements, her love for basketball has always been evident. This passion can be traced back to her father, Corey Gauff, who played college basketball for Georgia State University. In the past, Corey had hoped that his daughter would follow in his footsteps and pursue basketball professionally. However, Gauff developed a stronger interest in tennis and ultimately chose that path.
Despite this, her connection to basketball remains strong, which played a major role in her decision to invest in Unrivaled. When the league announced her as one of its key investors in early January, Gauff expressed her excitement, stating, “I look forward to being part of this movement and continuing to help elevate women’s sports to new heights.”
Later, she shared a more personal reason behind her investment on X, humorously writing, “My dad always wanted me to follow in his footsteps and play basketball. Haha sorry dad but this is as close as it will get 🤣.” She then emphasized her commitment to women’s sports, adding, “In all seriousness, I’m incredibly grateful to get the opportunity to uplift women’s sports, and I am super excited to join the Unrivaled family! I can’t wait to watch 💜💜.”
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Coco Gauff’s Current Tennis Status and Upcoming Tournaments
Gauff is currently on a break following her recent run at the 2025 Australian Open, where she reached the quarterfinals before being defeated by Paula Badosa. Despite the loss, she remained positive about her performance, stating, “I’m not crushed, but obviously it does feel bad when you feel like you’re playing great tennis for the better start of this year to lose, but it is what it is.” She reassured fans that she would return stronger, adding, “We’ll get back to work.”
Her next scheduled tournament is the Qatar Total Open in Doha, beginning on February 9, followed immediately by the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships. Fans eagerly anticipate her return to the court and hope to see her deliver strong performances in the upcoming events.