Coco Gauff faces Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final on Saturday as she bids to win a second major singles title – but the American is not motivated by money
Coco Gauff has her sights set on clinching the second major singles title of her career at the French Open final.
The American tennis prodigy secured her place in the final by triumphing over compatriot Madison Keys in the quarter-finals and then defeating French sensation Lois Boisson. She’s no stranger to success at Roland-Garros, having won the doubles title last year.
After falling short in the 2022 singles final, she’ll be hoping to go one better against Aryna Sabalenka this time around.
At just 21 years old, Gauff has already spent a significant portion of her life in the limelight, first making global headlines when she beat Venus Williams at Wimbledon aged only 15. She claimed her maiden major at the U.S. Open in 2023 and is currently ranked second in the world.
A victory at the French Open would add a hefty $2.9 million (€2.55M) to her already substantial net worth, reports the Mirror US.
Net worth
Throughout her career, Gauff has amassed an impressive $24.3M in prize money, ranking her 18th on the all-time list of female tennis players. When combined with her numerous endorsement deals, Celebrity Net Worth estimates her total wealth at $35M.
In 2024, Forbes named Gauff as the highest-earning female athlete. Her portfolio of endorsements includes lucrative contracts with New Balance and Italian food giant Barilla.
She has raked in $2.7M in prize money so far this year, a sum that could potentially more than double should she emerge victorious at Roland-Garros. Yet, Gauff’s earnings are still a far cry from Serena Williams’ staggering career total of $94.8M.
Gauff reveals her true colours
Despite accumulating wealth that most can only dream of, tennis sensation Gauff demonstrated her down-to-earth nature following her U.S. Open triumph. Contrary to expectations of lavish spending after securing her first major and a $3M prize, Gauff confessed to not being driven by financial gain.
“I don’t like to spend money,” Gauff disclosed on the Tennis.com podcast in 2023. “When I had my first Grand Slam check, I wanted a car but my dad had already bought it and, I don’t know what to buy now.”
Her father Corey surprised her with a black Audi e-tron, yet the young star showed no urgency to splash out. “There’s nothing crazy materialistic that I really want,” Gauff mentioned during an Instagram live session.
“I’m very satisfied with all that I have. I don’t want anything crazy.”
Post-U.S. Open, when queried about her immediate desires, Gauff humorously responded: “A burger. That’s all I want.”
She also expressed a longing for a holiday, having been accustomed to travelling solely for tournaments.
Despite her professional achievements, Gauff continued to reside with her parents in Delray Beach, Florida. In November 2024, she revealed the purchase of her own home in the vicinity, after previously gifting her parents a $1M mansion.
Humble attitude
During a press conference, Gauff appeared at ease when contemplating her upcoming clash with the world’s top-ranked player Sabalenka in the French Open final. Reflecting on her previous defeat at this level three years earlier, she acknowledged feeling much more relaxed about her third appearance in a major singles final.
“My first final here, I was super nervous and I kind of wrote myself off before the match even happened,” Gauff remarked. “Obviously, here, I have a lot more confidence just from playing the final before and doing well in one.
“Going into Saturday, I’ll give it my best shot and be as calm and relaxed as possible. Whatever happens, happens knowing I put my best foot forward.”
When questioned about her newfound sense of tranquillity, Gauff provided some insight: “Realizing how minuscule it is. Everybody is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final. And also thinking and realizing that however many players would have wanted to be in this position.
“I’m sure there’s hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose the final, so just knowing that makes me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position. At first, I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost and the sun still rose the next day. So knowing, regardless of the result, that the sun will still rise.”
