Tennis sensation Coco Gauff is the new face of Wheaties – Essence

On Tuesday, Coco Gauff became the new face to grace the famous A box of General Mills Wheaties cerealHe joins an extended list of athletes who’ve once graced the cereal box referred to as the “breakfast of champions.”

While the front of the box shows Gauff in motion, the back of the box details Gauff’s early profession as a tennis player and the way she was inspired from a young age by Venus and Serena Williams.

The new title is worthy of the 20-yr-old champion. In addition to being a Grand Slam champion in each singles and doubles, she made history at the 2023 US Open by becoming the youngest American woman to win a match since Serena Williams in 1999. She currently has seven Women’s Tennis Association singles titles to her name and is the second-most famous singles player in the world. In 2024, Gauff was the only female athlete and the youngest to be honored Women of the Year List.

“It means a lot to be in a Wheaties box, especially one as iconic as Wheaties,” Gauff tells ESSENCE. “And to be able to accompany Billie Jean King is also a huge honor, so I’m really happy and excited to share that with everyone.”

The announcement comes on the heels of tennis legend and activist Billie Jean King’s debut in a Wheaties box earlier this yr, roughly a yr after she won the U.S. Open title. And the timing is perfect, as the 2024 U.S. Open Fan Week kicks off. On Aug. 20, Gauff joined King onstage at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

“Getting to know Billie on a personal level over the years, she’s just the type of person who’s a go-getter,” Gauff says. “If I had to give you a quote that would definitely describe her, she’s the type of person who says, ‘Why not me?’ because she’s just pushing the boundaries. I know what she did wasn’t easy,” she continues. The tennis star is referring to the advocacy and activism of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients who’ve also excelled on the tennis court. King has won 39 Grand Slam titles in her profession and won the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match against Bobby Riggs. King is also known for fighting for equal pay in the sport.

Like the WTA organizer, Gauff also desires to be an advocate, each on and off the court. “To me, you’re a human being before you’re an athlete. I know in the past, people have told athletes to stick to their sport, stick to being an athlete, but at the end of the day, you’re a human being,” she says. “But once I step on the court, [grocery] in the store, they will see me as a black woman before they see me as a tennis player or something.

“At 20 years old, Coco Gauff is already showing the world that anything is possible when you dare to dream — the definition of a Wheaties champion,” said KC Glaser, senior manager of brand experiences for Wheaties. “We are thrilled to recognize Coco as our newest Wheaties Champion amidst her incredible season on the court and her ongoing activist work off the court.”

Coco Gauff is on a journey to change into one of the best tennis players in the world. Despite her young age, she has consistently set ambitious goals for herself and has remained steadfast in pursuing them, even when faced with challenges. Reflecting on her path to success, Coco emphasizes the importance of trusting your instincts and never letting outside influences dictate your potential. As she says, “I feel for me, [it’s important] dream big, I feel from a young age, I talked about my dreams and I never wavered in them,” Gauff says. “Just know that you just’re the only one who can judge your abilities and sometimes even you do not know your potential. Sometimes you possibly can go further, but for me, just know where you should be after which follow it. Don’t let outsiders or other people change your view of yourself because at the end of the day, you are the one who puts in the work. You’re the one who has to go on the market and compete, so only you already know how far you possibly can go.”

Limited-edition Wheaties by Coco Gauff boxes shall be available at major retailers starting this month for $6.19. While Wheaties continues to honor world-class athletes with its iconic Orange Box, the brand is also celebrating on a regular basis athletes with the launch of Wheaties Protein cereal, introduced earlier this yr. This new offering is General Mills’ highest protein cereal, with over 20g of protein per serving, available nationwide in two delicious flavors: Honey Pecan and Maple Almond.