Coco Gauff has revealed how she will, or will not, be spending her
US Open prize money.
19-year-old Gauff achieved her maiden Grand Slam title at the last major of the year in New York. The American faced the new World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final at Flushing Meadows and ousted the Belarusian 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In doing so, Gauff also secured herself a winner's cheque of 3 million dollars, which increased her overall earnings to over $10 million. During the victory ceremony, she thanked tennis legend Billie Jean King for fighting for equal pay at the US Open 50 years ago, a measure that was eventually implemented across all four Grand Slams.
Gauff addresses debt queries
Following her win, Gauff hosted an Instagram Live video where a fan asked her how she planned to spend the prize money. In response, the young star said that someone had suggested using the money to pay off her debts, to which she revealed that she didn't have any.
The World No. 3 elaborated by telling her fans that she still lived with her parents and didn't go to college, meaning she was able to avoid things like student debts. She also added that her parents had never put her in a position to be in debt.
"Somebody said pay off debts, I'm 19 I don't have any debt, I'm not in debt, I live with my parents still, so I'm not in debt. I didn't go to college so I don't have any student bills to pay, I'm too young, my parents never put me in that position to be in debt, so I have nothing to pay right now," she explained.
Gauff has had a highly successful time on the North American swing this season. In August, she won both the WTA 500 DC Open and the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open, before going on to oust Mirra Andreeva, Caroline Wozniacki, Jelena Ostapenko, and Karolina Muchova on her way to her clash with Sabalenka in the US Open finals.
Gauff is scheduled to compete again at the Guadalajara Open from September 17-23, where the prize money on offer for the winner is $2,788,468.