Coco Gauff may still be a teenager but the impact she is making both on and off the tennis court is quickly turning her into a cultural icon.
Time Magazine seems to think so, too, and named the 19-year-old American as one of their 12 Women of the Year for 2024.
Among the company Gauff has on this prestigious annual list includes Barbie movie director Greta Gerwig, Chanel CEO Leena Nair, and Yael Admi and Reem Hajajreh – two Israeli and Palestinian women whose organisations formed an alliance to strengthen calls for peace amid the continuing war in Gaza.
“I feel very honoured. I don't think I was expecting that, to be honest,” Gauff said after her third-round victory over Karolina Pliskova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday.
“It's really cool, I'm excited. The event is one of the things that my tennis schedule allows me to go to, so I'm really excited to attend and be among some incredible women, just hear their stories from their backgrounds, and maybe try to apply it to my own life.”
Gauff has never been afraid to stand up for what she believes in. It's a quality that runs deep in her family; her grandmother Yvonne Lee Odom was the first black student at her high school in 1961, while her parents have always encouraged their daughter to make her voice heard on important cultural issues, which she has done to great effect.
Tennis, of course, is the platform upon which Gauff is able to amplify her voice, and her platform continues to expand as her standing in the game grows. Long seen as a future star, ever since beating one of her heroes, Venus Williams, at Wimbledon when she was 15, Gauff is now established among the elite as a Grand Slam champion and the world No 3.
“I like to say I'm more than a tennis player,” Gauff said. “Especially in this day and age, I will say growing up in tennis, coming from a lineage like Billie Jean King, Venus Williams, Althea Gibson, I feel like this sport is very popular in advocating for equality and justice. I feel comfortable doing that.”
Gauff may be more than a tennis player, but on Wednesday it was all about the day job, and it looked like the third seed was set for an early flight home when she dropped the first set to former world No 1 Pliskova.
The American regrouped admirably, overcoming initial serving problems and a prolonged row with the umpire to claim a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in one hour and 53 minutes.
After a surprise defeat in the Qatar Open second round last week, it was an impressive win against the in-form Pliskova, who had won her last 11 matches, not including the walkover in the Doha semi-finals.
“It felt like a good win because in Doha, I didn't play well. I feel like here I haven't been playing the best,” Gauff said. “Especially an opponent like her. She's been playing well since the start of the year, coming back from injury.
“Even though her ranking is probably not where it should be considering the calibre of player she is, it definitely felt like a top win for me. Hopefully, I can continue to use that to build my confidence going into the rest of this week.”
Gauff was in control at 4-2 up in the second set when she got involved in a lengthy exchange with umpire Pierre Bacchi over a successful Hawk-Eye call on a serve. Bacchi had deemed that Pliskova, who hit her return into the net, had been hindered by the incorrect call by the line judge and ordered Gauff to replay the point. Gauff, however, argued the call came too late and felt she should have been awarded the point.
After unsuccessfully pleading her case, Gauff admitted defeat in her argument and quickly refocused to win the game. While she was broken in a later game, the third seed claimed another break of her own to close out the set and level the match.
As it transpired, Gauff was right in her protest with Bacchi. “I don't usually advocate that hard for things unless I'm 100 per cent sure. I don't want to get the reputation with the refs,” she said. “When I walked away, I was like, OK, don't let one point turn into a three- or four-point ordeal. I definitely was able to reset after that.”
The deciding set was far less dramatic, a single break of serve falling in Gauff's favour in the eighth game, and after fending off two break points, she sealed the match at the second attempt.
The victory ensures Gauff, who will face Anna Kalinskaya in the quarter-finals after the Russian's victory over 2022 champion Jelena Ostapenko, stays on a semi-final collision course with world No 1 Iga Swiatek. The top seed eliminated the only other former champion in the draw, Elina Svitolina, 6-1, 6-4.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Results
Catchweight 60kg: Mohammed Al Katheeri (UAE) beat Mostafa El Hamy (EGY) TKO round 3
Light Heavyweight: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) no contest Kevin Oumar (COM) Unintentional knee by Oumer
Catchweight 73kg: Yazid Chouchane (ALG) beat Ahmad Al Boussairy (KUW) Unanimous decision
Featherweight: Faris Khaleel Asha (JOR) beat Yousef Al Housani (UAE) TKO in round 2 through foot injury
Welterweight: Omar Hussein (JOR) beat Yassin Najid (MAR); Split decision
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Sallah Eddine Dekhissi (MAR); Round-1 TKO
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali Musalim (UAE) beat Medhat Hussein (EGY); Triangle choke submission
Welterweight: Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) beat Sofiane Oudina (ALG); Triangle choke Round-1
Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) beat Saleem Al Bakri (JOR); Unanimous decision
Bantamweight: Ali Taleb (IRQ) beat Nawras Abzakh (JOR); TKO round-2
Catchweight 63kg: Rany Saadeh (PAL) beat Abdel Ali Hariri (MAR); Unanimous decision
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
UFC Fight Night 2
1am – Early prelims
2am – Prelims
4am-7am – Main card
7:30am-9am – press cons
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
Signs%20of%20%20%20%20%20%20%20heat%20stroke
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20loss%20of%20sodium%20chloride%20in%20our%20sweat%20can%20lead%20to%20confusion%20and%20an%20altered%20mental%20status%20and%20slurred%20speech%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBody%20temperature%20above%2039%C2%B0C%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHot%2C%20dry%20and%20red%20or%20damp%20skin%20can%20indicate%20heatstroke%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EA%20faster%20pulse%20than%20usual%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDizziness%2C%20nausea%20and%20headaches%20are%20also%20signs%20of%20overheating%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIn%20extreme%20cases%2C%20victims%20can%20lose%20consciousness%20and%20require%20immediate%20medical%20attention%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
