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.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
RESULTS
Bantamweight title:
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) bt Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
(KO round 2)
Catchweight 68kg:
Sean Soriano (USA) bt Noad Lahat (ISR)
(TKO round 1)
Middleweight:
Denis Tiuliulin (RUS) bt Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
(TKO round 1)
Lightweight:
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) bt Joachim Tollefsen (DEN)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 68kg:
Austin Arnett (USA) bt Daniel Vega (MEX)
(TKO round 3)
Lightweight:
Carrington Banks (USA) bt Marcio Andrade (BRA)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 58kg:
Corinne Laframboise (CAN) bt Malin Hermansson (SWE)
(Submission round 2)
Bantamweight:
Jalal Al Daaja (CAN) bt Juares Dea (CMR)
(Split decision)
Middleweight:
Mohamad Osseili (LEB) bt Ivan Slynko (UKR)
(TKO round 1)
Featherweight:
Tarun Grigoryan (ARM) bt Islam Makhamadjanov (UZB)
(Unanimous decision)
Catchweight 54kg:
Mariagiovanna Vai (ITA) bt Daniella Shutov (ISR)
(Submission round 1)
Middleweight:
Joan Arastey (ESP) bt Omran Chaaban (LEB)
(Unanimous decision)
Welterweight:
Bruno Carvalho (POR) bt Souhil Tahiri (ALG)
(TKO)
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
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The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206-cylinder%203-litre%2C%20with%20petrol%20and%20diesel%20variants%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20automatic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20286hp%20(petrol)%2C%20249hp%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E450Nm%20(petrol)%2C%20550Nm%20(diesel)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EStarting%20at%20%2469%2C800%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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