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Coco Gauff topping her contemporaries as the most marketable tennis star of 2024 sparked discussions among tennis fans. Many fans have also questioned the positions of Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabablenka, Carlos Alcaraz, and legends like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who find themselves behind the American star.
Sports Pro recently released its list of 150 most marketable athletes of 2024 which uses three parameters to place the athletes - Brand Strength, the athlete's global presence, Total Addressable Market, the athlete's reach, and Economics, assessing the athlete's impact on the world.
The list was topped by popular gymnast Simone Biles, who was followed by Vinicius Jr, LeBron James, Caitlin Clark, and Lionel Messi.
On the tennis side, Coco Gauff was ranked 13th, followed by Novak Djokovic at 18th, Carlos Alcaraz at 29th and Rafael Nadal at 34th. Aryna Sabalenka (38), Jannik Sinner (47), Naomi Osaka (48) and Iga Swiatek (50) are the other tennis players in the Top 50.
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Fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their astonishment at this list. One fan said 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic shouldn't be behind Gauff.
"Putting Djokovic behind Gauff is a crime," the fan said.
Another fan questioned how the 20-year-old was ahead of her contemporaries in 2024.
"Coco gauff is in top of marketable tennis players.. what kind of a fraudulent list is this ..?" the fan pondered.
Another fan questioned how Emma Raducanu didn't break into the list. But it was later confirmed by the fan who originally posted the list the Raducanu was placed at 131.
"surprised emma didn't make it. do they factor in performance in these rankings or no?" the fan questioned.
Here are some other reactions from fans:
"How is Coco so marketable ahead of 2 legends and 2 of the best player this year," a fan questioned.
"This is only for USA, isn’t? Because Naomi, Iga and Zheng Qinwen are much more marketable in Europe and Asia than Coco Gauff. Ridiculous list," a fan opined.
"One thing about Carlos he's always gone be on an influential list," a fan commented.
"I am quite surprised that Frances Tiafoe is not on this list. He is extremely popular outside of the tennis world," a fan thought.
A look into some of Coco Gauff's top-notch endorsements
It has been established from the above list that Coco Gauff is one of the most marketable athletes in the world right now. This means that at the tender of 20, she has already secured some huge brand deals.
The most notable brand in her repertoire is No Balance, which has been her kit sponsor since she was 14. As for her racket, she is been sponsored by Head. Outside of tennis, Gauff has joined hands with big brands such as Rolex, Microsoft, Bose, American Eagle Outfitters, and others.
On the tennis side of things, Gauff has qualified for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Though she had an underwhelming season by her standards, the American gained some form at the Asian Swing clinching the China Open.
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