Coco Gauff and WNBA player Dearica Hamby's daughter Amaya recently enjoyed some quality time together after an Unrivaled game between the Lunar Owls Basketball Club and the Laces Basketball Club. Unrivaled is a professional women's basketball league in which Gauff has invested.
Unrivaled was founded by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart in 2023 with its inaugural season taking place this year. Along with Gauff, other investors of the league include Trybe Ventures, Michael Phelps Alex Morgan and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
After the game between the Owls and the Laces, Coco Gauff met Hamby's daughter Amaya on the court, where they had an adorable conversation.
“Hi! Nice to meet you. Are you nervous ? I don’t bite . Can I have a hug? I’m all glammed up. My name is Coco and I hear you’re a tennis player. Is that true ? You’re a fellow tennis player? How long have you been playing?” Gauff asked.
“Uhh, two years,” Amaya replied.
Gauff asked Amaya to name her favorite tennis player, to which the eight-year-old replied that it was Gauff herself. The former World No. 2 then asked who her second favorite tennis player was, prompting Amaya to name the 23-time Grand Slam winner, Serena Williams.
“So you watch me play. Who’s your favorite player? You don't have to say it's me. You can be honest.” Gauff said
“It is you,” Amaya replied.
“It is me. Who’s your second favorite player?” Gauff asked.
“Serena Williams, even though she retired,” Amaya said.
During their conversation, Coco Gauff also learned that Amaya had never watched a tennis match in person. She then went ahead and invited Amaya to attend one of her matches and sit in her player's box.
“Have you watched any tennis tournaments yet, like in person? Okay, one day we have to get you to come watch. We have to get you to watch something in person one day and you can sit in my box if you want,” Coco Gauff said.
“What’s a box?” Amaya asked.
“It’s like where my coach sits, and my mom and my dad. I usually don’t talk to my coaches during the match but maybe I’ll talk to them. It’s where my family sits, so you can watch,” Gauff replied.
Coco Gauff began her 2025 season by representing the United States at the United Cup. She helped Team USA secure the title for the second time by defeating Team Poland in the final.
She then competed at the 2025 Australian Open, defeating Sofia Kenin, Jodie Burrage, Leylah Fernandez, and Belinda Bencic in the first four rounds before falling to Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals.
Coco Gauff will next compete at the 2025 Qatar Open
Following the conclusion of her campaign at the 2025 Australian Open, Coco Gauff will next compete at the Qatar Open. The tournament will take place from February 9 to February 15, 2025, at the International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha. This will be her fourth appearance at the tournament, with her first appearance coming in the year 2022.
Gauff's best results in the singles of the WTA 1000 hard court tournament came in 2022 and 2023, when she reached the quarterfinals before falling to Maria Sakkari and Veronika Kudermetova, respectively. She has also clinched the doubles title at the tournament twice, in 2022 and 2023, alongside Jessica Pegula.
This year, Coco Gauff is seeded third at the tournament and will kick off her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She will face Marta Kostyuk or wild card Zeynep Sonmez in the opening round on Tuesday.
Gauff and Kostyuk have met four times on the WTA Tour, with the American holding a 3-1 lead. Their most recent match was in the third round of the 2024 Wuhan, which Gauff won 6-4, 6-1. The sole win for the Ukrainian came in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
On the other hand, Coco Gauff and Zeynep Sonmez have never faced each other on the WTA Tour.