Coco Gauff has a voice and a platform that’s going to transcend the sport” – Maria Sharapova

The world no. 2 has a fierce will to win, and a likeable, charismatic persona that makes her every bit as powerful on the court as she is off it.

At the age of 20, Gauff is already a Grand Slam champion having won the US Open on home soil in 2023.

Off the court, she’s a bona fide star and one of the most marketable athletes on the planet after being named the highest paid female athlete in the world last year.

The Atlanta native has long been touted as the heir apparent to Serena Williams and, like the 23-time Grand Slam winner, her impact is starting to go beyond the world of tennis.

Maria Sharapova, the Russian icon who lit up Wimbledon as a 17-year-old champion in 2004, recently spoke about Gauff’s growing platform.

Sharapova was in the Royal Box on Centre Court at Wimbledon this week on the 20th anniversary of her historic victory over Serena in the ’04 showpiece.

The 37-year-old spoke about her admiration for Gauff and predicted the American will be a powerful voice for good across multiple domains in the coming years.

“I was waiting for Coco to get up there,” the five-time major winner said.

“I remember attending the first round of her match which was a tough match at the US Open and then I went back home and then I was contemplating coming back and I just wanted to witness her win because I think she has such an amazing head on her shoulders.

“I think she has a voice and a platform that’s going to transcend the sport,” Sharapova went on.

“As we know now sport is not just tennis, it’s fashion, it’s art, it’s culture, it’s having a platform, and I think she does brilliantly of merging all of those together.”

Gauff has been on an upwards trajectory since bursting onto the scene at Wimbledon in 2019 as a raw 15-year-old.

She beat idol Venus Williams in her Grand Slam debut and has continued to rise up the rankings ever since.

An emotional Gauff suffered disappointment at the French Open in 2022, losing to world no. 1 Iga Swiatek in the Roland Garros final.

The young American did get her hands on a Grand Slam eventually, winning the crown at Flushing Meadows, New York last year.

She beat No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final to claim her first major title and backed that up with a doubles title at the French Open in May.

The Delray Beach resident earned a reported $22.7 million last year, including $16 million from off-the-court earnings.

Her soaring celebrity status as seen her land lucrative endorsement deals with powerhouse brands like Ray Ban, Meta, New Balance and Bose.

She’s increasingly at ease with using her platform to discuss matters outside tennis too, something that has further endeared her to fans.

She paid respect to Andy Murray this week at Wimbledon and called him an icon for his tough stance and continued support of women’s sports.

‘I just watched a video about him [Murray] correcting reporters on statistics,’ Gauff said in her post-match Wimbledon press conference on Wednesday.