Coco Gauff has had an up-and-down season on the court, but has now earned the ‘best tennis player’ honour at this year’s ESPY awards, presented by ESPN.
Gauff won her second Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2025, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final to hoist the trophy for the first time on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Sabalenka was also a nominee for the award, along with Carlos Alcaraz and his Wimbledon conqueror, Jannik Sinner.
Despite a disappointing campaign at the All England Club, it was ultimately the world number two who was given the prize.
Finding out she had won the next day, Gauff posted her immediate reaction on social media.
Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty ImagesCoco Gauff’s reaction to winning the ‘best tennis player award’
After winning in 2024, the American has now clinched the award for the second year in a row.
Gauff took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say: “Woke up to finding out I won another ESPY! Thank you.”
woke up to finding out I won another espy!! ahhhh thank youuuu❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) July 17, 2025
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The award comes just over two weeks after her Wimbledon run, which ended in the first round following a defeat to Dayana Yastremska.
It was her joint-worst finish at the championships and marked a winless grass season, in which she featured at just two tournaments during the swing.
Coco Gauff’s 2025 season on the WTA Tour so far
After finishing the 2024 season in style by winning the WTA Finals, Gauff began 2025 at the Australian Open, where she bowed out in the quarter-finals to Paula Badosa.
She then flew to the Middle East and competed at the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships, but crashed out in the first round of both.
Tournaments Gauff has competed in this year: 11Titles Gauff has won this year: 1
The 21-year-old went out in the round of 16 of both the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open, and then made the quarter-finals in Stuttgart.
Following her struggles on hard-court, Gauff then enjoyed a fantastic clay swing, reaching the final at both the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, before winning Roland Garros.
With the grass season behind her, the young star will now look ahead to the North American hard-court swing, leading up to the US Open, where she is a former champion.