In a gesture that has shaken the world of tennis and international media, the young American tennis player Coco Gauffpublicly refused a sponsorship by Tesla, the company founded and directed byElon Musk, during the tournament of Wimbledon2025. The reason? A declaration as short as powerful, that he left journalists, sponsors and even Musk himself speechless.
According to reports from sources close to the player team, Tesla would have offered a millionaire sponsorship contract to appear with the company logo on the Gauff shirt during the tournament. A proposal that, for many athletes, would have been impossible to refuse. But Coco Gauff is not “many athletes”.
During today’s post-match press conference, the tennis player publicly confirmed the refusal, explaining his reasons directly and unexpectedly:
“Let’s go to the Memors in the airplane in India.”
An enigmatic phrase that immediately attracted the attention of the media, but which, as clearly clarified by Gauff, refers to respect for the victims and families affected by the tragic plane crash that occurred recently in India, and to the fact that some key components of the Tesla cars – according to her – would have connections with critical supplies for ethical and environmental issues.
“I cannot represent a brand until there are shadows on the way it operates,” added Gauff. “My shirt is not on sale, especially if it involves the risk of legitimizing practices on which I have no clarity.”
The gesture was welcomed with mixed reactions. Many fans have applauded him for his courage and for putting the values in front of the money. “It is rare to see a young athlete to take a position in such a clear way,” commented a BBC journalist. Others, however, have defined its “excessive” or “little informed” position.
In the meantime,Elon MuskHe has not yet issued an official declaration, but internal sources speak of a “remarkable disappointment” by the Tesla communication team, which had already planned an advertising campaign in conjunction with the Gauff matches.
The world of tennis has also divided. Some athletes expressed solidarity with Coco, others preferred not to comment, fearing repercussions with their sponsors.
One thing is certain: Coco Gauff has not only hit his talent on the pitch, but also for the strength of his ideas. In an era in which many are limited to politically correct, she chose to expose herself, even at the cost of losing millions. And this, perhaps, is the most important victory.
