Coco Gauff shows true colors after Caitlin Clark beats tennis ace to elite prize
Caitlin Clark was named TIME’s Athlete of the Year for 2024, with the 22-year-old receiving the accolade ahead of the likes of Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff shows true colours after Caitlin Clark beats tennis ace to prize (Image: (Image: Getty))
Coco Gauff demonstrated her grace after missing out on a significant honor. Caitlin Clark was declared TIME’s Athlete of the Year for 2024, following her recognition as the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year and setting a NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball scoring record.
Despite never receiving the title herself, Gauff has previously been included in TIME’s Women of the Year list. The world No. 3 expressed delight at seeing Clark recognised by the magazine. Gauff also had another successful year on tour.
The 20-year-old began the season by reaching the Australian Open semi-final and ended it by winning the WTA Finals trophy for the first time.
The world No. 3 also claimed two other titles in Beijing and Auckland, and made her Olympic debut over the summer. Gauff was chosen as Team USA’s flag bearer for the opening ceremony alongside LeBron James.
Coco Gauff showed her support for Caitlin Clark after missing out on an award (Image: (Image: Getty))
However, her accomplishments weren’t enough to secure the coveted title of TIME Athlete of the Year, with Clark receiving the honour instead. The 22-year-old has transformed women’s basketball, bringing record viewerships to the WNBA.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that Gauff was more than pleased to see Clark receive the recognition she deserved. The Indiana Fever Guard shared a photo of her magazine cover on TIME on Instagram.
Former US Open champion Gauff was quick to respond, commenting three heart-eye emojis on the post. The nine-time title winner also played basketball in her younger years and has been following Clark’s career since her Iowa Hawkeyes days.
In April, the 20 year old shared her thoughts with the WTA: “I will say if I could go in another life I would love to play at the same time as Caitlin Clark just to see if I could guard her.”
She mused, “Obviously, now I definitely couldn’t, but I don’t know, if I trained for it, [I] just [want] to see.”
Gauff had been setting alarms to catch NCAA women’s basketball while on the European clay-court circuit. The young star eagerly anticipated Clark’s WNBA entrance and had begun interacting with the 22 year old online.
“I’m just really excited to see Caitlin Clark’s first game, and Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. I’m really excited to see them on the same team too,” she expressed. The rising talent is thrilled by the attention the women’s game is receiving.
“It’s very exciting to see the women’s game especially in basketball getting as much traction now. They definitely deserve it,” Gauff stated. She also mentioned that she’s connected with fellow players on social media.
“I’ve been Instagram mutuals with some of the girls. Cameron Brink just signed with New Balance. And Angel Reese, had some DMs with her, and same with Caitlin and Paige Bueckers.”
