Before she was a Grand Slam champion, before she was the face of American tennis, and long before she cashed her first million-dollar endorsement check, Coco Gauff was just a 10-year-old girl playing make-believe. But this wasn’t ordinary childhood dress-up—it was prophetic. In a now-iconic Delta Air Lines commercial, Gauff portrayed a young Serena Williams, unknowingly stepping into the shoes of the very woman she would one day be compared to.
The commercial, shot when Gauff was just beginning her tennis journey, showed a determined little girl running, training, and chasing a dream—perfectly capturing the spirit of young Serena. The twist? That girl was Coco. At the time, it was just a gig, an exciting moment for a talented kid who admired Serena Williams. But looking back, it feels almost too perfect to be true.
“That was my first real paycheck,” Gauff would later reveal. “I got to be Serena. I got to imagine what it was like being her. It was surreal.”
Surreal doesn’t even begin to describe how life would unfold. Within five years, Gauff made headlines by defeating Venus Williams—the very sister of the woman she once portrayed—on Wimbledon’s Centre Court. The then-15-year-old phenom didn’t just win; she dominated. And the world couldn’t help but draw a full-circle comparison: the girl who played Serena was now beating the legends themselves.
Today, at just 20 years old, Coco Gauff boasts a net worth estimated around $35 million. She’s the reigning US Open champion, one of the most marketable athletes on the planet, and a powerful voice for the next generation. Brands like New Balance, Barilla, and Bose have lined up to work with her—not just for her on-court prowess, but for her poise, maturity, and voice beyond tennis.
But that early Serena connection continues to haunt—albeit in the best possible way. Gauff has never hidden her admiration for Williams, often crediting her and Venus for paving the way.
“I wouldn’t be here without Serena,” Gauff has said. “Everything I do, from the way I carry myself to how I play, it’s inspired by her.”
And now, she’s no longer playing Serena—she’s becoming her. With a US Open title already in hand and an ever-growing fanbase, Gauff is seen as the natural successor to the Williams legacy. What started as imitation has transformed into inheritance.
That $500 check for her role in the commercial might’ve seemed small then. But what it represented was far bigger: a glimpse into destiny. Gauff didn’t just want to be Serena—she was preparing to become her, in her own way.
From a childhood dream to a multimillion-dollar empire, Coco Gauff’s rise is the stuff of sports fairy tales. And the best part? She’s just getting started. The baton has been passed—and Coco isn’t just holding it. She’s running with it full speed.