By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, November 25, 2025Photo credit score: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
Coco Gauff spent a part of Thanksgiving week giving again to junior gamers.
The reigning Roland Garros champion stunned a neighborhood tennis clinic in New Orleans East on Monday, visiting the tennis facility that was just lately refurbished in her honor.
The ten courts at Joe Brown Park have been refurbished earlier this yr as a part of the US Open Legacy Initiative, which was launched in recognition of Gauff’s 2023 US Open girls’s singles title.
As a part of the initiative, the USTA pledged $3 million–equal to Gauff’s prize cash in 2023–to refurbish public tennis courts throughout the nation. The New Orleans undertaking was hand-picked by the Gauff household because of the household’s intensive ties to town.
“New Orleans has an excellent shut place in my coronary heart and to have the ability to be again right here is absolutely cool,” mentioned Coco Gauff. “To have the ability to do that initiative with the USTA is wonderful.”
Picture credit score: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
Picture credit score: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
Two-time Grand Slam champion Gauff grew up enjoying on public courts in her hometown of Delray Seaside, Florida and perceive how transformative public park tennis could be for junior gamers.
“The US Open Legacy Initiative, and the celebration of our 2023 Ladies’s Singles Champion Coco Gauff, has allowed us to assist greater than 100 amenities throughout the nation and join the very best degree of our sport to native communities, mentioned Brian Vahaly, Chairman of the Board and Interim Co-CEO, USTA. “By refurbishing the general public courts at Joe W. Brown Park, we’re increasing entry to the sport and giving extra gamers a greater place to play.
“We’re grateful to accomplice with New Orleans on this undertaking and proud to assist a facility that may profit the group for years to come back.”
Monday’s occasion featured a clinic run by native non-profit A’s and Aces, which affords applications and occasions on the Joe W. Brown Park courts. A’s & Aces is a chapter of the USTA Basis’s Nationwide Junior Tennis & Studying community, which options greater than 270 organizations nationwide that supply free or low-cost tennis, schooling, and life-skills programming to younger individuals from under-resourced communities.
Picture credit score: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
Former WTA Finals champion Gauff hit with the children on the clinic, inspired them and spoke to them about impactful experiences she’s had in her tennis profession.
In an announcement, the USTA mentioned: “The occasion not solely served as a celebration of the New Orleans undertaking, but in addition marked the conclusion of the US Open Legacy Initiative, which hit its $3 million funding aim this summer season. In whole, the Legacy Initiative impacted greater than 100 amenities, funding enhancements for greater than 700 tennis courts throughout the nation. Every impacted facility acquired a plaque noting the courts have been refurbished in honor of Gauff’s US Open triumph.”
