Florida's Coco Gauff to play Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

A Florida teenager will be targeting the tennis crown in Germany. After winning the 2023 US Open last summer, Coco Gauff showcased her ambitions of becoming the WTA world No. 1. On her road to the top, the 19-year-old from the Sunshine State will play in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix at Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena from April 13th to 21st. 

“First of all, she’s a player I love watching,” explains Tournament Director Markus Günthardt of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. “And secondly, we’ll be hosting all four reigning Grand Slam champions.”

 
The tournament's exclusive quartet includes title holder Iga Swiatek (French Open 2023), Marketa Vondrousova (Wimbledon 2023), Coco Gauff (US Open 2023) and Aryna Sabalenka (Australian Open 2024). The world-class field also boasts three other players that have won Grand Slams – Angelique Kerber, Emma Raducanu, and Jelena Ostapenko.

“I am excited to kick off the clay court swing in Stuttgart. I have had a lot of success on the clay and I think Stuttgart provides the perfect week with great hospitality to start the European season,” explains Gauff. “The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is still a tournament I can improve on and I am up for the challenge!”

By successfully defending her title in Auckland, Coco Gauff got off to a winning start in the 2024 season. She went on to reach the semifinals at the Australian Open. Even though she succumbed to the eventual winner, Aryna Sabalenka, she made an indelible mark on the tournament with the fastest serve. Gauff's serve clocked in at 201 km/h.
 
Coco Gauff was born in Delray Beach, Florida on March 13th, 2004. Her parents were both successful athletes – her father was a basketball player at Georgia State, her mother was a gymnast and track and field athlete at Florida State University.

Gauff was only six-years-old when she stood on a tennis court for the first time. From that moment on, everything happened very quickly. Competing at 13 in the 2017 US Open juniors, she became the youngest finalist in the history of the tournament. One year later, she won the title at the French Open and became the junior world No. 1.

At only 15 years and 214 days in 2019, Coco Gauff won her first WTA title in Linz. There hadn't been a winner that young on the WTA Tour since 2004 when Nicole Vaidisova won in Tashkent. She also entered the record books at the French Open when reaching her first Grand Slam final. She was the youngest player to achieve the feat since Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004.

Coached by Brad Gilbert more recently, Gauff’s breakthroughs came during the 2023 season with wins in Auckland, Cincinnati, Washington D.C. and at the US Open. After breaking into the Top 10 for the first time on September 12th 2022, the current world No. 3 amassed seven singles titles.

Gauff has been even more successful in doubles where she has notched eight tournament victories. The list includes the 2023 WTA 1000 tournaments in Doha and Miami together with Jessica Pegula. She stood with her fellow Floridian in the doubles final at the 2022 French Open and at the head of the doubles rankings in September 2023.

 
To date, Gauff has played in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on two occasions – in 2022 and 2023. She has gone the furthest in doubles – when partnering with Shuai Zhang to the final during her first appearance in the Porsche Arena. Her aim this time around is to win the singles title and the Porsche sports car, the traditional main prize for the winner.

One of the most prestigious indoor tournaments on the WTA Tour, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix represents the crème del la crème of world tennis. Its visitors also enjoy an exceptional live atmosphere in Stuttgart’s so-called “Hallenduo” comprising of the Porsche Arena and the Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle.

An attractive program of side events for all ages with a colourful mixture of sport and entertainment turns the long-established Porsche Tennis Grand Prix into an memorable experience for the whole family.

Tickets for the 47th Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in the Porsche Arena from April 13 to 21 2024 are available via the official www.porsche-tennis.com tournament website or at Easy Ticket Service – in Internet at www.easyticket.de or by calling +49 711 / 2 55 55 55.

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Source/Photos: Porsche Newsroom