On the toes of Coco Gauff’s right sneaker is a reminder from her father, Corey Gauff: “You can change the world with your racket.” That message isn’t just for show. Gauff is living it out every time she steps on and off the court. Back in 2020, when the world stood still after the murder of George Floyd, Gauff used her voice. She took to social media, posted about injustice, and even spoke at a protest. That same energy has carried over to her support for the LGBTQ+ community. And her awareness and activism at such a young age has gained the admiration of Serena Williams’ former coach.

In 2022, at a match in San Jose, an 18-year-old Gauff noticed a fan wearing a LeBron James jersey. But it wasn’t the jersey that stood out—it was the sign they held. With rainbow pride colors, it read, “Thanks for being you,” and had side-by-side photos of Gauff and Naomi Osaka from their clash that year. Gauff later said it was “probably the best sign I’ve ever seen.”

Fast forward to June 2025, the 21-year-old continues to stand tall as an ally. As Pride Month kicked off on June 1 — a month that honors the LGBTQ+ community, Coco Gauff shared a simple but powerful message on X. “happy pride month ❤️ i’m always proud to be an ally ! everyone deserves to be celebrated, seen, and treated fairly🫂,” she wrote.

Her message caught the attention of Rennae Stubbs, a WTA legend and former coach to Serena Williams. She replied to Gauff’s post and wrote, This young woman is one of my favorite people, ever! Thank you Coco! For always using your platform for good ❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️”

Her message was no doubt particularly touching for Stubbs who publicly came out as lesbian in 2006. “I came out to myself when I was 25 and it was a scary but also wonderful time to finally discover who I was. I felt a sense of relief that I could understand my past and why I felt the things I did growing up,” she once shared.

That’s why Gauff’s consistent support means so much to her. And the 2023 US Open champion has proven, time and again, that she doesn’t shy away from tough conversations. When Florida passed the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill in 2022, which restricted classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity, she didn’t hold back. “I’m against it. I think these conversations are important, and for me, who has friends in the LGBTQ+ community, I couldn’t imagine not being able to talk about your identity. I feel that’s something that is normal,” she said.

Coco Gauff’s advocacy doesn’t stop there. She’s also been vocal about the lack of women’s matches scheduled for the prime-time slot at the French Open.

Coco Gauff raises her voice for women’s tennis

This year, Coco Gauff is seeded No. 2 and has made it to the Round of 16 for the fifth straight year at the French Open. In the third round, she breezed past Marie Bouzkova, winning 6-1, 7-6(3). The second set was a grind as she was two points from losing it, but then she powered through. Still, the 21-year-old has never been given the 8:15 p.m. night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

That slot, introduced in 2021, has almost exclusively featured men’s singles matches. In fact, there hasn’t been a women’s match scheduled for prime time since 2023. Over the past 20 night sessions, not one has featured a women’s match. Only four night matches have been from the women’s draw since the format began four years ago. The last one was a fourth-round battle in 2023 between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens.

Gauff made her point after a second-round win against Tereza Valentova. Speaking to Forbes, she said, “When you feel, like, what’s best for the fans … I feel like we produce some high-quality tennis and we have some great stars on the women’s sides that fans would love to see.” She brought up her U.S. Open experience as well. “From my experience playing at U.S. Open, night match at 7 pm, with Novak [Djokovic] following me, and he’s the greatest player of all time, people were almost just as excited to see me play as him,” she added. “And same as other places I’ve played like Australia, night match, people were excited to see us, too.”

Though not a night session, Coco Gauff is set to face Ekaterina Alexandrova in her fourth-round match on Monday. Whether she’s swinging her racket or speaking her truth, Gauff continues to lead with courage. Will she keep her winning run alive and go all the way in Paris? What do you think?