Coco Gauff is rapidly becoming one of the most compelling figures in modern tennis—not just because of her extraordinary talent, but also due to her outspoken commitment to improving the sport’s economic landscape for all players. At just 21 years old, the American star has already made significant waves, both with her dynamic playing style and her advocacy for fairer prize money distribution.

While Gauff dazzles fans with powerful serves and nimble footwork, behind the scenes she has emerged as an influential voice pushing for substantial change in professional tennis. She has been instrumental in rallying top players from both the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tours to endorse a collective agreement aimed at redistributing prize money more equitably. This initiative addresses a crucial and often overlooked issue: the stark disparity between earnings at the top and the financial struggles of lower-ranked players.

To put this into perspective, many players ranked outside the top 100 find it difficult to break even financially. For example, Yuriko Miyazaki, ranked around 300 in the world, reportedly earned only about $95,000 in prize money over an entire season—a sum that barely covers travel, coaching, and training expenses. Such economic realities have long been a problem in professional tennis, where huge tournaments offer massive purses to champions, but the earnings of players outside the elite brackets remain disproportionately low.

Gauff’s own journey highlights the contrast vividly. In 2024, she captured the WTA Finals title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, securing a historic $4.805 million prize—the largest single paycheck in WTA history. Her reaction to this windfall was genuine surprise, underscoring the often-hidden financial dynamics of the sport. “Oh really! I didn’t know, jeez. I knew it was some money but I didn’t know it was that much. It means a lot to me,” she said, reflecting on the unprecedented prize.

Beyond her personal success, Gauff is keenly aware that tennis can be a precarious profession for many. The expenses associated with being on tour—including travel, accommodation, training, and coaching—can quickly eat into earnings, especially for lower-ranked players who exit early from tournaments or struggle to fund their careers. This financial pressure has historically posed an obstacle to diversifying the sport and maintaining a healthy pipeline of emerging talent.

Interestingly, the issue of prize money inequality in tennis is not new. In the 1970s, pioneering players like Billie Jean King fought vigorously for equal pay for women. King famously won the battle to secure equal prize money at the US Open in 1973, a landmark moment that marked the beginning of the WTA Tour’s rise. Her activism helped to reshape tennis into a more inclusive sport, but the struggle for fair compensation continues to this day—highlighting how Gauff’s efforts are part of a broader legacy of pushing for justice in tennis.

On the financial leaderboard, Gauff is already climbing steadily. Having amassed over $28 million in career prize money, she placed 11th on the WTA all-time earnings list by mid-2024. The only player above her by a substantial margin is Serena Williams, whose illustrious career earned her nearly $95 million in prize money. Although surpassing Serena is a lofty benchmark, Gauff’s trajectory and leadership make it clear she is not content to simply rack up titles and earnings; she wants to transform the sport into a fairer space for all competitors.

Gauff’s influence extends beyond the scoreboard. With every match and every advocacy effort, she is inspiring a new generation of players and fans to rethink the economics of tennis. Ahead of high-stakes matches, such as her semifinal appearances against Amanda Anisimova or Jasmine Paolini at major events like the Beijing Open, fans are witnessing not just an elite athlete, but a determined champion for social and financial equity.

As the conversation around tennis prize money evolves, Gauff’s role as a trailblazer is unmistakable. Her combination of youthful energy, on-court excellence, and off-court activism places her in a unique position to drive lasting change. While the future will reveal how far she’ll go in terms of records and titles, one certainty remains clear: Coco Gauff is helping to serve up a new era of justice and opportunity in the world of tennis.