Coco Gauff Opens Up on the Real Reason Behind Investment in $340M Startup

“Basketball is one of my favorite sports, and the chance to support a league that’s redefining the game is exciting,” Coco Gauff said earlier this year as she revealed herself as one investor in Unrivaled, a new women’s basketball league in the US. With its inaugural season kicking off on January 17, the 3×3 league has already pulled in an impressive $28 million in funding. For Gauff, the move comes as no surprise given her lifelong love for hoops, which she has often called one of her “favorite sports.”

The league’s Series A investment round is stacked with star names, from NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo and swimming legend Michael Phelps to actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. And just yesterday, after her hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win over Leylah Fernandez at the China Open, the 21-year-old shed more light on what drew her to the project and why she wanted to be part of it.

Notably, a reporter asked Coco Gauff about her decision to invest in the Unrivaled League, pointing out her photo with Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. The urge to know more, they wanted a scoop on the 21-year-old’s reasons for investment, and she didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yeah, no, I’m an investor in it. I think the idea came, A, because I saw a lot of other prominent names being invested in the league. I’m like, Okay, I want to do it,” she explained. For her, it was both a natural progression and a chance to stand alongside other high-profile athletes and figures supporting women’s basketball.

She credited a familiar face from her own sport. “Also Micky Lawler, she’s the head of league. I don’t know the right term to put it in. She’s coming from tennis. I had that personal connection with her,” Gauff said. Micky Lawler, a former WTA President, now leads Unrivaled as its Commissioner, in partnership with founders Collier and Stewart. Gauff reaffirmed that getting involved felt like a straightforward decision with that connection in place.

“Her and the team of Unrivaled asked if I wanted to be involved. Of course, the answer was yes because I love basketball, probably my second favorite sport outside of tennis. I love the WNBA.” It was a blend of passion and trust: basketball has long been a love of hers, and the leadership team had roots in tennis she could relate to. And if that wasn’t enough, the 2024 WTA Finals winner and World No.3 also highlighted the structuring of Unrivaled, noting the league’s foundation borrows heavily from tennis.

“I think this gives a lot of the players a different option to do outside of season. Honestly, the way Micky did it, I went and visited all the facilities, it’s really a lot modeled after tennis.” In professional tennis, traveling nurseries, top-notch locker rooms, and athlete-first amenities are staples at the biggest events. For Gauff, these standards for women’s basketball confirmed the league’s seriousness about player welfare and sustainability.

In the end, she highlighted the impact this model is already creating for athletes. Gauff cited how the facilities excited the players, which automatically resulted in reflecting on her own sport with gratitude. She admitted it was bittersweet, saying, “I’m like, what they have is kind of typical to what we have on tour. For them it’s like a plus and they don’t really have that.” She believes Unrivaled would raise the bar for women’s basketball. “I think a lot of WNBA teams are following notion on that and creating these better practice facilities for players.”

For Gauff, the investment goes far beyond finances – it’s about backing a vision that can elevate standards across all women’s sports.

Basketball Coco Gauff shares another reason behind Unrivaled investment

In early January, the official website of Unrivaled introduced Coco Gauff as one of its key investors. Sharing her excitement about the collaboration, Gauff said, “I look forward to being part of this movement and continuing to help elevate women’s sports to new heights,” as reported by the league’s website on January 6.

Shortly after, she took to X to share a more personal reason for joining. Joking about her father’s influence, she wrote, “My dad always wanted me to follow in his footsteps and play basketball. Haha sorry dad but this is as close as it will get ????.” She followed up with a heartfelt note: “In all seriousness, I’m incredibly grateful to get the opportunity to uplift women’s sports and I am super excited to join the @Unrivaledwbb family! I can’t wait to watch ????????.”

Given the venture’s credibility and shared risk, Gauff joins a roster of high-profile investors for a greater cause. With her influence in the media, Gauff could help the brand get easy promotion. After a successful year 1 in place, year 2 returns to provide some quality basketball action.

As for Coco Gauff, she turns her focus to a round-of-16 showdown against Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, with all eyes on how she responds. That said, with her passion for basketball now crossing over into real investment power, could Gauff be setting the blueprint for the next generation of athletes?