Coco Gauff 'flexes' her exclusive signature shoe status at Australian Open with basketball-inspired shoes

Coco Gauff took a moment to highlight a unique aspect of her career during the 2025 Australian Open, proudly noting she's the only active player with a signature shoe on tour. The 20-year-old has been wearing a fresh custom-made sneaker design called the Coco CG2 AO Colorway, which boasts a sleek mix of white and marsh green with the New Balance logo etched onto it.

These custom-made sneakers are designed with a basketball influence inspired by Gauff's father Corey’s love for the sport. In a post-match on-court interview following her fourth-round win, she said:

"My dad played basketball and he always wanted me to play basketball and actually I did, he put me in unwillingly but it was pretty fun. These shoes are inspired by basketball shoes which is why they look kind of higher, that's pretty much the only thing behind those shoes."

The American tennis star discussed her collaboration with New Balance:

"New Balance and I were always looking to do things that haven't been really done in tennis before and I would like I think this is not one of the first shoes of it kind. I have to flex but I am the only like current active player with a signature shoe on tour so I'm really happy and proud of that."

Gauff kicked off her Australian Open campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 win over compatriot Sofia Kenin in the first round. The third-seeded player defeated Jodie Anna Burrage, 30th seed Leylah Fernandez, and Belinda Bencic to reach her second consecutive Australian Open quarterfinals, where she will take on 11th seed Paula Badosa on January 20, 2025.

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Coco Gauff on her relationship with New Balance

Coco Gauff during the 2024 US Open (Image source: Getty)

In an August 2024 interview with Essence.com, Coco Gauff discussed her bond with New Balance during the debut of her second signature shoe and 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."

Gauff’s partnership with New Balance has been a pivotal part of her career since she was just 14 years old. In 2022, she introduced her first signature shoe, the CG1, and by August 2024, she unveiled her second, the CG2.