Coco Gauff, the reigning French Open champion and global tennis sensation, has once again shown that her greatness extends far beyond the court. In a quiet yet deeply moving gesture, Gauff has donated full tennis scholarships to all Black girls in her hometown of Delray Beach, Florida. The act, done without fanfare or media attention, was first revealed by local teachers and school staff—many of whom were brought to tears not only by her generosity, but by the heartfelt letters she sent to the elementary school where her journey began.
The scholarships, funded personally by Gauff, aim to cover training, equipment, and tournament expenses for young Black girls with a passion for tennis—many of whom may not have otherwise had the resources or support to pursue the sport seriously. Her gift was directed to local youth programs and coordinated with area tennis academies to ensure the girls receive high-quality coaching and mentorship.
But what truly touched the hearts of her former teachers was the handwritten letter Gauff sent to each of them, and to the school itself.
“This is where my dream began,” she wrote in one letter. “I still remember the first time I picked up a tennis racket during recess. You didn’t just teach me how to read or write—you taught me that I mattered. That my dreams mattered. Thank you for seeing me before the world did.”
Staff at the school say many of them cried reading the letter, which now hangs framed in the front office.
“She could have just made the donation and walked away,” said Ms. Fields, one of Gauff’s former teachers. “But instead she reminded us why we teach. She reminded us that even when they leave our classrooms, the love we give stays with them.”
Gauff, who rose to prominence at age 15 after defeating Venus Williams at Wimbledon, has often spoken about the importance of representation in tennis and the barriers that young Black girls still face in the sport. Her donation is a direct response to that reality—and a reflection of her desire to “lift as she climbs.”
“I wanted these girls to know they belong,” Gauff said in a brief statement. “Not someday, not if they win something. They belong now.”
The impact is already being felt. Several young girls in Delray Beach have enrolled in local tennis programs for the first time, inspired not only by Gauff’s success, but by her belief in them.
“She’s not just giving them a racket—she’s giving them a vision of themselves,” said Coach Jamal, a community tennis leader. “And that can change everything.”
As Coco Gauff continues to dominate the tennis world, she’s also proving something far more powerful: that champions aren’t just defined by titles, but by the lives they lift along the way.
