Tuesday, Coco Gauff became the newest face to grace the famed . She joins a long list of athletes who have once graced the cereal box, known as the “breakfast of champions.” While the front of the box shows Gauff passionate in action, the back of the box details Gauff’s early journey as a tennis player, and how she was inspired from a young age by Venus and Serena Williams.
The new title is befitting of the 20-year old champion. On top of being a Grand Slam champion in both singles and doubles, she becoming the youngest American to win the match since Serena Williams in 1999. Today, she holds seven Women’s Tennis Association singles titles and is the number two ranked women’s singles player in the world.
In 2024, Gauff was the only athlete and youngest honoree named to . “It means a lot to be on the Wheaties box, especially as legendary as Wheaties,” Gauff tells ESSENCE. “And being able to follow Billie Jean King is also a huge honor, so I’m really happy and excited to kind of share it with everybody.
” The announcement comes on the heels of tennis legend and activist Billie Jean King’s Wheaties box debut earlier this year, and roughly one year after earning her U.S. Open title.
And the timing is perfect, as it kicks off the 2024 US Open Fan Week. On August 20, Gauff joined King onstage at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “Getting to know Billie on a personal level over the years, she’s just such a go-getter type person,” Gauff says.