Coco Gauff lands cover of TIME Magazine after being named in Woman of the Year previously, reveals why she is playing for herself

Coco Gauff graces the cover of TIME Magazine two months after being chosen as 'Woman of the Year' two months ago. The 2023 US Open champion continues to capture attention beyond the tennis courts, and Time highlights her significant achievements so far.

The American No. 1 is competing this week at the Madrid Open with a good chance of reaching the world No. 2 ranking, the highest of her career. Gauff was surprisingly eliminated in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Stuttgart Open by Marta Kostyuk, but Aryna Sabalenka's inconsistent form has her on the verge of achieving her best-ever ranking.

The 20-year-old has been making waves on the WTA Tour for several years. Gauff burst onto the scene at Wimbledon at the age of 15, defeating Venus Williams in her debut match and advancing to the fourth round, where she lost to eventual champion Simona Halep. In 2022, she reached the final of the French Open but was unable to clinch the title, falling to world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

However, a year later, she made the definitive leap that placed her among the select group of three or four world-class tennis players. Gauff secured her first WTA 1000 title and Grand Slam within just a month, catapulting to world No. 3 and solidifying her status as one of the Tour's top players. 'I always knew I wanted to try to win multiple Grand Slams. Sometimes people get unmotivated after winning one. That hasn’t been a personal challenge for me,' she said.

The American star emphasized the importance of growing up watching great athletes who inspired her. In particular, Gauff highlighted the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, as her major inspirations. 'As a little girl, it was very important to see representation and see myself in players, especially in the field where it is predominantly white,' says Gauff. 'I don’t think I would have had the belief I could do it if it wasn’t for them,' she added."