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Coco Gauff is set to compete in the French Open final and could add the seven-figure top prize to her sizeable net worth as she chases her second major title

Coco Gauff is aiming to win the second major singles title of her career in the French Open final.

Gauff reached the French Open final by defeating fellow American Madison Keys in the quarter-finals, followed by a win over French star Lois Boisson. She has already enjoyed success at Roland-Garros, clinching the doubles title last year. Gauff lost the 2022 singles final and will hope to go one step further against Aryna Sabalenka.

The 21-year-old tennis ace has already spent several years in the spotlight, capturing worldwide attention when she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old. Gauff won her first major at the U.S. Open in 2023, a few years later, and currently sits second in the world rankings. Winning the French Open would see Gauff add the $2.9 million (€2.55M) grand prize to her already considerable net worth.

Net worth

Gauff has earned an impressive $24.3M in prize money throughout her career, placing her 18th in the all-time list of female tennis players. Combined with her various endorsement deals, Celebrity Net Worth estimates her total wealth to be $35M.

Forbes listed Gauff as the highest-paid female athlete in 2024. Her endorsements have included lucrative deals with New Balance and Italian food company Barilla.

She has earned $2.7M in prize money so far this year, a figure that could more than double if she triumphs at Roland-Garros. However, Gauff still has some way to match Serena Williams’ earnings, having received an eye-watering $94.8M throughout her career.

Gauff shows true colors

The tennis prodigy may have amassed an eight-figure bank balance, but Gauff showed her true colors shortly after winning the U.S. Open. Having won her first major, many would have expected Gauff to make an extravagant purchase with her $3M winnings. However, she admitted to not being focused on money.

“I don’t like to spend money,” Gauff said on the Tennis.com podcast in 2023. “When I had my first Grand Slam check, I wanted a car but my dad had already bought it and, I don’t know what to buy now.”

Her dad Corey bought a black Audi e-tron for his daughter, but the tennis star wasn’t in a hurry to spend her riches. “There’s nothing crazy materialistic that I really want,” Gauff said on an Instagram live. “I’m very satisfied with all that I have. I don’t want anything crazy.”

When asked what she wanted soon after winning the U.S. Open, Gauff quipped: “A burger. That’s all I want.” She later outlined her desire for a vacation, having only traveled as part of her career.

Despite her success, Gauff lived with her parents in Delray Beach, Florida. In November 2024, Gauff shared that she had bought her own house in the area, having already gifted her parents a $1M mansion.

French Open mindset

Gauff cut a relaxed figure during a recent press conference as she discussed the prospect of facing world number one Sabalenka in the French Open final. Having already experienced defeat at the same stage three years ago, she admitted feeling much more comfortable ahead of the third major singles final of her career.

“My first final here, I was super nervous and I kind of wrote myself off before the match even happened,” Gauff said. “Obviously, here, I have a lot more confidence just from playing the final before and doing well in one.

“Going into Saturday, I’ll give it my best shot and be as calm and relaxed as possible. Whatever happens, happens knowing I put my best foot forward.”

Asked what had led to her calmer outlook, Gauff explained: “Realizing how minuscule it is. Everybody is dealing with way bigger things in lfe than losing a final. And also thinking and realizing that however many players would have wanted to be in this position.

“I’m sure there’s hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose the final, so just knowing that makes me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position. At first, I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost and the sun still rose the next day. So knowing, regardless of the result, that the sun will still rise.”

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Schools can now directly compensate their athletes, ushering in a transformative era for college sports following Friday’s formal approval of a multibillion-dollar legal settlement.

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave the green light to the agreement reached between the NCAA, its leading conferences, and attorneys representing all Division I athletes. This House v. NCAA settlement resolves three federal antitrust lawsuits, alleging that the NCAA unlawfully restricted student-athletes’ ability to earn money.

Judge Wilken’s long-anticipated ruling comes just weeks before schools begin issuing payments to athletes, starting July 1.

The annual cap is expected to start at roughly $20.5 million per school in 2025-26 and increase yearly during the decade-long deal. These new payments are in addition to scholarships and other benefits the athletes already receive.

The settlement gives schools the power to create new rules designed to limit the influence of boosters and collectives. Starting this summer, any endorsement deal between a booster and an athlete will be vetted to ensure it is for a “valid business purpose” rather than a recruiting incentive.

The agreement will resonate in nearly every one of the NCAA’s 1,100 member schools, boasting nearly 500,000 athletes.

NCAA President Charlie Baker said the deal “opens a pathway to begin stabilizing college sports.”

Multiple HBCUs, such as Morgan State, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina A&T, and Hampton (through an association with the CAA) have agreed to opt in to the House settlement agreement.

What does opting in mean?

Institutions that opt in will also be subject to new roster limits and scholarship guidelines. This antitrust settlement, valued at over $2.8 billion, addresses past restrictions on student-athlete compensation and establishes a revenue-sharing framework.

While schools in the power conferences (SEC, Big Ten Big 12, ACC and Pac-12) will be automatically bound by the terms of the settlement, schools outside those conferences had the choice to opt in or out to the settlement. Schools that opt out will not be able to directly pay players through revenue sharing.

“The decision to opt in to the settlement allows for financial support and revenue sharing to give student-athletes a real opportunity to earn income while acknowledging the time, talent, and energy student-athletes bring to UMES,” Vice President of Athletics & Recreation Tara A. Owens said in a statement. “We continue to explore all avenues to establish and maintain competitive teams while providing an optimal collegiate experience for our student-athletes.

Owens said the decision “will not increase the financial investment the university makes” athletics.

“UMES will utilize our department resources strategically and cultivate new pathways for student-athlete financial support,” Owens said. “We are excited about the new landscape of college athletics and the future of Hawk athletics.”

Morgan State is expected to contribute over $230,000 to the settlement fund and reduce football roster size to add Olympic sports to remain in compliance with Title IX.

What does the decision mean for NIL?

In specific reference to NIL, the settlement aims to create a more equitable model for college athletics, ensuring that student-athletes receive fair compensation and support.

Participating schools can now offer direct NIL payments and other financial benefits to student-athletes, potentially including scholarships above the NCAA’s previous limits. Schools can also engage in direct NIL contracts with student-athletes, such as licensing agreements, endorsement deals and brand promotion agreements.

“Furthermore, opting into the settlement aims to enhance the student-athlete experience, increase visibility and access, and ensure competitive recruitment and positioning within the MEAC and Northeast Conference,” the school said in the release.

For scholarship and roster management purposes, opting into the settlement allows schools, including HBCUs that opt in, to use a portion of their athletic revenue to directly benefit student-athletes, and scholarship limits may be eliminated.

Settlement could create ‘challenging times’

SWAC Commissioner Charles McClelland addressed the House vs. NCAA settlement last winter. 

“It is now allowable for institutions to directly give NIL money to their student-athletes. That means there’s going to be an influx of athletes that are looking for NIL payments,” he said in December. “You’re going to have to have some name image and likeness money set aside to compete.”

McClelland explained that the House settlement will impact the finances of every SWAC institution.

“The SWAC conference’s contribution to that [settlement] is $30 million. There’s going to be some challenging times from a financial standpoint.”

To counteract that, McClelland said that resources are being developed to help each school compete in this new era of college athletics.

“We’re going to develop a best practice document that we’ll give to all presidents and chancellors as a guide,” he said. “We are in a good spot from a revenue standpoint; we’re going to be just fine, but it will take some additional effort. We will need NIL dollars on the inside, and we will work with you to help develop that. We’re going to continue to stay on top.”