At an age when most of her peers are turning their tassels and heading into their first-time jobs, tennis superstar Coco Gauff is on a tear at the U.S. Open. The 22-year-old is heading into the tournament\u2019s quarterfinal match tonight\u2014and is one step closer to reclaiming the title she won in 2023.<\/p>\n
Gauff has put together a whirlwind performance at the 2026 U.S. Open. The Florida native most recently faced off against fellow American Iva Jovic Monday night, taking home a 6-1, 6-4 win and becoming one of the tournament\u2019s final eight competitors. Her string of four straight singles victories at the tournament was preceded by a run to the Wimbledon semifinals and a Cincinnati title just weeks before the 2026 U.S. Open. Gauff hasn\u2019t lost a single set in New York City competition so far\u2014and the fourth-seeded player credited a change in mindset to her triumphs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest difference in the way I\u2019ve been playing is just trying to play with no regrets,\u201d Gauff said after<\/a> her Monday win against Jovic. \u201cI think I have a lot more fun and success playing like this.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gen Z athlete is one of six U.S. players to advance to this stage of the U.S. Open\u2014the greatest number of Americans to have made the quarterfinals since 2002\u2014according to the United States Tennis Association. And as the last American woman to win the singles title back in 2023, Gauff is now competing to reclaim the title in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Tonight, she will hit the courts against 19-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva, the fifth-seed rising star and reigning French Open champion. While Gauff has yet to drop the ball and lose a set, she\u2019s stuck true to the mindset of letting mistakes go and trusting her game.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019m doing a good job of when I maybe miss opportunities or lose some games, just keeping it in the past and focusing on the present,\u201d Gauff said<\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t view it as opportunities lost sometimes. I try to just view it as what to do better and just trusting that I\u2019ll be in the same position again.\u201d<\/p>\n Gauff earns $35.5 million\u2014and will take home at least $780K at the U.S. Open\u00a0<\/p>\n Gauff has become one of tennis\u2019s most recognizable names through her eight-year professional run.\u00a0<\/p>\n The world tuned into her talent when she was only 15 years old\u2014one year into her professional career\u2014as Gauff made history as the youngest to qualify for Wimbledon\u2019s main draw. And in the years since, the professional athlete hasn\u2019t quit breaking records and taking names. In 2023, she became the youngest American to win the U.S. Open singles title since Serena Williams in 1999; she\u2019d go on to claim the 2025 French Open singles title, her second Grand Slam singles victory. Gauff has also been crowned world number one in doubles and world number two in singles, according to the Women\u2019s Tennis Association. Gauff was also the U.S. flag bearer for the Paris 2024 Olympics\u2014making her the youngest American flag bearer in U.S. Olympic history.\u00a0<\/p>\n On and off the court, Gauff is collecting big checks for her partnerships and accomplishments. Gauff was crowned the highest-paid female athlete in the world in both 2025 and 2024, according to Forbes. And this year, she was the fifth highest-paid<\/a> of anyone in sports, earning a whopping $35.5 million\u2014$7.5 million on the field and $28 million off the tennis green. Aside from prize money from two singles titles in 2025, including the French Open, she made bank through endorsements and brand deals. Her sponsorships include Mercedes-Benz<\/a>, Chase Bank, Rolex, and New Balance; and in 2025, Gauff has also launched her own management firm, Coco Gauff Enterprises, with talent agency WME to \u201ctake greater ownership of my career.\u201d<\/p>\n