Ladies and gentlemen, Coco Gauff! From collaborating with New Balance for her tennis outfits to launching her American Eagle line, Gauff has proved she’s much more than an athlete—she’s a style icon. At this year’s Australian Open, she’s taken things up a notch. The 20-year-old defeated Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 on Sunday to book her spot in the quarterfinals, but it wasn’t just her tennis skills that had everyone talking.

The American tennis star gave fans an inside look at her basketball-inspired shoes during her on-court interview. “My dad played basketball, and he always wanted me to play basketball…He put me in unwillingly, but it was pretty fun. And my mom did track, so they put me in track,” Gauff shared in her post match on-court interview.

“These shoes are inspired by basketball shoes, which is why they’re kind of higher. I wanted them to be like basketball shoes. Yeah, that’s pretty much the only thing behind those shoes.” The story doesn’t end there.

The World No.3 went on to flex her partnership with the sportswear company worth $4.3 billion- New Balance. It was a collaboration that began in 2018 when she was just 14 years old. “New Balance and I, we are always looking to do things that haven’t been really done in tennis before. I think this is one of the first shoes of its kind,” she explained. And she wasn’t shy about adding, “I have to flex, but I am the only current active player with a signature shoe on tour. I am definitely happy and proud about that.”

Gauff’s bond with New Balance runs deep. In a previous interview, she had said, “I’ve been with the team since I was 14 years old, and they are really like family to me. Over the last six years, I’ve grown so much as an athlete and person, both on and off the tennis court. The New Balance team has been there for every step of my journey and truly let me be myself when it comes to product and design.”

Her signature shoe line has been a key part of that journey. Gauff’s first signature shoe, the CG1, launched in 2022. These shoes hold special significance for Gauff, as she wore them during her breakthrough win at the 2023 US Open. The second iteration, the CG2, dropped in August 2024. Could they be lucky for her at the Australian Open, too?

The former US Open champion’s shoes are not the only thing under the spotlight, though.

Coco Gauff stuns in New Balance ‘superhero’ outfit

It’s not just the shoes turning heads in Melbourne—it’s her entire outfit. For her day matches, Coco Gauff has been rocking a bold two-tone look with a white bodysuit featuring cutouts and an open back, paired with an olive-green “cargo” skirt and her basketball-inspired shoes. For her night matches, she switches it up with an all-neon ensemble and white shoes. The inspiration behind her look?

Marvel superheroes. “This outfit, I’m a huge Marvel fan, and a lot of the female superheroes have cool cutouts on their outfits, so that’s what I wanted to do,” Gauff revealed in an on-court interview. However, pulling off superhero-level style comes with its challenges.

Laughing, Gauff admitted, “It’s actually kind of a pain to get into because it is a bodysuit, so I have to, like, put the bottom part [on] first and then pull it over my head. It’s kind of a struggle. And if you can’t hold your bladder, it’s also not a good idea, but you have to sacrifice for fashion.”

Fashion struggles aside, Gauff is letting her game do the talking at the Australian Open. Her win over Bencic has set up a quarterfinal clash with Paula Badosa on January 21, where she’ll continue her quest for her first Australian Open title. Will Coco Gauff’s 9-match winning streak(since the United Cup) and impeccable style carry her through to her second semifinals(first came at last year’s Melbourne slam)?