Two of this year’s Grand Slam winners, Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka, faced off during the WTA Finals in Riyadh on Thursday, with their respective athletic brand partners supporting their fast footwork.
A closer look at the shoes worn by Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka.
21-year-old Gauff, who won the French Open this year, has been with New Balance since 2018; the 27-year-old Sabalenka, winner of 2025’s U.S. Open, signed with Nike in 2017. Gauff sported her second signature shoe, the Coco CG2, while Sabalenka wore the Nike Vapor 12.
Coco Gauff
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Gauff competed in a white and blue-accented version of the CG2, which features a mid-cut silhouette, unconventional among tennis shoes, and a dual-density FuelCell midsole outfitted with a carbon fiber plate. Her second signature shoe with New Balance was released in August 2024, following the first shoe in 2022.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka played in one of the two exclusive Vapor 12 pairs she showcased at the U.S. Open, which references her “Tiger” nickname. The set she wore on Thursday features an edgy black and white design, while the other pair has silver stars; both pairs make use of pink and white and feature a tiger on the tongue. She also showcased custom tiger-themed shoes at the Australian Open this year.
Aryna Sabalenka
Getty Images for WTA
In Thursday’s WTA Finals matchup, Sabalenka beat Gauff, meaning the Belarusian will face Amanda Anisimova, while Jessica Pegula will play Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals.
Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff
Getty Images for WTA
No matter the outcome, Gauff and Sabalenka competed in the tournament as they qualified as two of the top eight Women’s Tennis Association singles players. And the brand connections of such elite players are powerful — with the U.S. Open generating $810 million in media exposure, Nike was the brand leading the pack with $9.4 million in MIV.
Gauff worked with New Balance and Miu Miu on a buzzy tennis-inspired capsule which released in September. She will be honored with the Style Influencer of the Year award at the 2025 Footwear News Achievement Awards while New Balance and Miu Miu will receive the Collaboration of the Year award.