Coco Gauff, the tennis champion, has a certain style for the court: totally natural. While she enjoys getting glammed up sometimes, she leaves the makeup for off-duty moments.
"In tennis, if you want to wear makeup, you can," Gauff, who is 21, shared in a Vogue interview on Wednesday, August 27. She even mentioned how some top players do it. "I know Serena [Williams] has worn eyeliner. I think Venus [Williams] still wears it. You can wear a full face of makeup if you want."
But Gauff herself has a clear reason for skipping the cosmetics during her matches and big tournaments like the US Open. It’s all about keeping her focus on the game, not a makeup meltdown.
"I just sweat too much, and the makeup would end up all over my face," she explained. She added, "I know the WNBA girls rock their looks. If I could wear makeup [on court], I would."
Since Gauff only uses sunscreen on match days, she’s come up with a clever way to keep the attention away from her bare face. It involves some serious style planning.
"I have a nice outfit to take the attention off my face," she joked good-naturedly. She takes her match day fashion seriously. "I plan my outfits for tournaments way in advance because I like to know what I’m wearing. And I get my nails done, too."
Gauff is currently playing in the US Open in New York City. She matches her nails to her outfit each day. "My nails will be different to match the outfit for that day," she told Vogue. "And my hair too. I just got it done. When all three things are ready—which is very rare—but for the Grand Slams, I try to make sure all three are done. Then I feel my best on the court."
For her match on Thursday, August 28, against Donna Vekic, Gauff sported a red New Balance crop top and a white tennis skirt. Her nails featured burgundy polish with some fun green tennis-inspired details. Gauff clearly felt her best that day, winning the match and knocking Vekic out of the tournament with scores of 7-6, 6-2.
Once her tournaments wrap up, Gauff is quick to switch gears and enjoy getting dressed up for a night out in the city. When it comes to makeup, she’s actually learned a lot from online pros.
"Jackie Aina, Alissa Ashley, Monet McMichael, all of them basically taught me how to do my makeup," she revealed, naming some popular beauty influencers. She specifically noted their helpful advice for young Black women. "Before, I had no idea what to do. I didn’t know how to match my skin tone, or that we should do things a little differently. They taught me so much in that area."