Coco Gauff Decides to Give Fans a Rare Glimpse Into Her Dearest Hobby Before Turning Dead Serious on Tennis

Most people have a hobby and so does Coco Gauff. Sure, she loves the Marvel Cinematic Universe and once shared her desire to watch Harry Potter, but her favorite way to spend time is by turning the delicate leaves of an engrossing book. Yes, she loves reading!

Gauff took to her official Instagram story to share a screenshot of her Goodreads library, ready to take on the 2024 Reading Challenge. With 12 of 24 books done and dusted, she wrote, “halfway through my reading challenge this year.” In her next story, she added another screenshot of the novels she has completed. “The other half of the books I’ve read so far this year that didn’t show in the last story picture. In case anyone cared which you probably don’t lol but still going to share.”

The American WTA star didn’t stop there. She added a picture of her latest read, Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, and wrote, “This is the last book story I promise lol but this is my most recent read.” Her admiration for Yarros’ The Empyrean series was apparent, as she even owns the hardcover version of Iron Flame, the second book in the series. While her list mostly comprised fantasy novels, she also read books by Viola Davis and Haruki Murakami. 

While some may believe she recently developed the habit, Coco Gauff has been a fan of reading for years. The US Open champion shared a post on the 2020 World Book Day, where she shared a photo of her favorite books. “In honor of #WorldBookDay here are some of my favorite books! I love reading so can you guys give me some book recommendations?” she wrote. Which books found a mention?

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama
2. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
5. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Following her latest shares, one might believe that the 20-year-old loves books as much as tennis. Like a true reading geek, she has continued to embrace physical copies in a world where virtual growth has eaten physical sales. Gauff’s admiration for books can be seen in her social media activity, even when her parents’ posts feature her.

Nothing will stop Coco Gauff from reading! Not even tennis…

Earlier in March, Coco’s father, Corey Gauff, shared a picture of his talented daughter sunbathing on the lawn. The world number 2 spotted sitting on a white patio chair, engrossed in the Fourth Wing, the first book in the Empyrean series. Her love for Yarros’ postulated five-book saga began that day, as she was taken with her writing style.

“If sitting on top of the world was a person,” wrote Gauff’s father, showing his daughter lounging happily with a book before beginning her Indian Wells stint. Gauff’s fans were delighted to see how their favorite WTA star is a true bookworm.

Gauff is halfway through her reading challenge as half the year is coming to an end. With 12 more books to go, the American player seems to be on track to finishing her challenge. But the next two months are about to get busy for Gauff with Wimbledon, the Olympics, and a title defense at the US Open around the corner.

Can reading help her achieve better results in the coming months? While the connection between reading and tennis might be confusing, Coco Gauff actually used it to motivate herself. Back in 2023, the tennis star won her first Grand Slam after defeating Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open. Later on, she revealed that she propelled herself to a victory by reading mean tweets just 10 minutes before the competition!

Her habit of reading also makes her a great pupil for her coach Brad Gilbert. Why? Because he co-authored ‘Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis’, which was published in 1994. Earlier this year, Coco Gauff stated that she had a copy of the book but didn’t read it. We wonder if the book will push her to achieve bigger things. What do you think?