"Best gift ever" - Coco Gauff left in splits as she shows off Duolingo's unique present

Coco Gauff received a unique gift from the e-learning application "Duolingo", much to her amusement. The gift was a soft toy of Duo, the company's green owl mascot, wearing a wig similar to her signature dreadlocked hair and attired in New Balance clothing, like her.

"Thank you @duolingo for the best gift ever," the American wrote on receiving her miniature self, adding a "laugh" emoji. In 2023, Gauff revealed that she was learning French through Duolingo, which says it offers "30+ online languages with bite-size lessons based on science." Apart from languages, the application also offers courses in mathematics and music.

Instagram | @cocogauff

Coco Gauff is not the only American tennis star using the app to learn a foreign language. Earlier this year, Taylor Fritz's girlfriend Morgan Riddle revealed that the World No. 4 had been taking Japanese lessons on Duolingo ahead of taking part in the ATP 500 Japan Open earlier this year.

Duo, the humorous green owl, is reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the Pennsylvania-headquartered company. The owl, which figures prominently on the company's merchandise, has also proved to be a massive hit on TikTok, especially among Gen Z.

"The only thing he loves more than Duolingo is seeing our learners succeed," the company's website says of its mascot. "He's their #1 fan and biggest cheerleader. He's also very persistent."

---

Serena Williams' former coach thinks Coco Gauff can become No. 1 next year

Despite not winning a Grand Slam this year, Coco Gauff ended the year on a high, winning the WTA Finals for the first time and wrapping up the year as the No. 3 player in the world. She also won her second WTA 1000 title of the year at the China Open with a 6-1, 6-3 defeat of Karolina Muchova in the final.

Meanwhile, Rick Macci, who coached Serena and Venus Williams in their childhood, has exuded confidence that Gauff could rise to the summit next year as she has gained in belief. The seven-time USPTA national coach of the year posted on X:

“Mentally day in and day nothing beats Proven and IGA is the leader in the WTA clubhouse in that area. But 2025 will see a shift as others have improved mentally and they Believe and when you Believe you will Achieve.

Coco Gauff is set to begin her 2025 season at the United Cup, a mixed-team event that will be held in in the Australian cities of Perth and Sydney.