Coco Gauff flexes about her shoes after progressing to Australian Open quarterfinals
World No. 3 Coco Gauff and her kit sponsor New Balance want to do things that are never done in tennis before.
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Coco Gauff said the New Balance shoes she is wearing at 2025 Australian Open are inspired by basketball (Images via Screengrab/X)
World No.3 Coco Gauff is into the Australian Open quarterfinals after getting the better of 2021 Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the fourth round. The match, which lasted for over two hours, saw Gauff rallying from a set down to emerge as the winner with scores of 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
After the match, former World No. 4-turned-tennis pundit Jelena Dokic, during the on-court interview, asked Gauff about the special shoes she has been wearing which have a basketball connection.
The youngster, who also opted for Marvel-inspired outfits in the tournament, said that as she used to play basketball because of her dad Corey Gauff, she decided to wear shoes that were inspired by the basketball ones.
And actually, I did [play basketball]…he put me in unwillingly [laughs]. But it was pretty fun. And my mom does tracks, so they put me in tracks. But yeah, these shoes are inspired by basketball shoes, which is why they look kinda higher. So I wanted them to be basketball shoes, yeah that’s pretty much the only thing behind those shoes.
Coco Gauff said
The 20-year-old said she and her sponsor New Balance often try to do things that haven’t been done in tennis before.
I think this is, you know, one of the first shoes of its kind. I have to flex, but I am the only current active player with a signature shoe on tour.
Coco Gauff added
Coco Gauff spoke about her shoes after beating Belinda Bencic to reach Australian Open QF
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 19, 2025
“I have to flex, but I am the only current active player with a signature shoe on tour” 😂
pic.twitter.com/Je1DyPHWxM
Coco Gauff set to face Paula Badosa in quarterfinals
Coco Gauff dropped a set for the first time in 2025 when she faced Belinda Bencic. Gauff could play another tough match in the quarterfinals on Tuesday (January 21).
The third seed is set to lock horns with former World No.2 Paula Badosa in the last eight stages of the Australian Open. Badosa, before setting up the clash with the 2023 US Open champion, defeated Olga Danilovic in straight sets.
The 27-year-old, who progressed to the quarterfinals in Melbourne for the first time, is still chasing her first Major. She has reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event multiple times but never progressed to the semifinals.
Against Gauff, she holds a 3-3 head-to-head record and lost the match she last played against the American ace. Last year at Melbourne Park, she was defeated in the third round by Amanda Anisimova, while Gauff crashed out of the tournament in the semifinal she played against eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka.
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Gouri Das
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