Gauff, who turns 20 next month, has always been mature beyond her years and admits she feels like she’s been an adult since she was 15, breaking out on tour with a headline-grabbing run to the Wimbledon second week as a qualifier.
The reigning US Open champion has never shied away from speaking up about social issues, drawing inspiration from her grandmother Yvonne Lee Odom, who back in 1961, was chosen to integrate Seacrest High School in Delray Beach.
At 15, Gauff was already using her social media platform to educate people during Black History Month. At 16, she gave a stirring speech at a Black Lives Matter rally. From a young age, her parents, Corey and Candi, have encouraged her to believe she could “change the world with her racquet” and Gauff has taken that advice to heart.
