Coco Gauff donates $150,000 to support HBCU Tennis Players
Before Coco Gauff stepped on court for her second round match at the Australian Open, it was announced that she had made another major donation to support students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Gauff donated $150,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to fund scholarships for HBCU students who play competitive tennis. This follows a $100,000 donation she made last year, bringing her total contributions to the organization to $250,000 in two years.
After her win over Olga Danilovic to reach the third round in Melbourne, Gauff spoke about why supporting HBCUs matters to her.
“It’s super important to me,” Gauff said. “If I didn’t play tennis, I would have loved to attend an HBCU. Both my grandmothers went to HBCUs. My uncle and aunt went to HBCUs. Growing up, I attended HBCU Classic games and things like that.”
Gauff said the decision was also about tennis itself.
“HBCU tennis a lot of times doesn’t get the funding that they need,” she said. “So for me, I always try to uplift marginalized communities and support where I can.”
The donations helped launch the Coco Gauff Scholarship Program, which has already awarded scholarships to 10 eligible HBCU students.
“My hope is that this scholarship gives more young Black players the confidence to chase their dreams, knowing they have a strong community behind them and a bright future ahead,” Gauff said.
Gauff will next face fellow American Hailey Baptiste as she looks to move on in Melbourne.
