Coco Gauff brought her energy to New Orleans this week as she visited Joe W. Brown Park to celebrate the newly renovated tennis courts she helped fund. The two-time Grand Slam singles champion not only unveiled the upgraded facility but also joined young players on court, danced to a local brass band, and showed off a few moves of her own.
Coco Gauff’s Mother Candi Shares Her Proud Reaction to the New Orleans Renovation
Gauff’s trip to New Orleans carried a deeper meaning than a standard promotional appearance. The 2023 US Open champion dedicated a portion of her $3 million prize money to improve public courts nationwide through a collaboration with the U.S. Tennis Association.
New Orleans quickly became one of the priority cities because of her family roots. Her father, Corey, grew up in the area, and Gauff spent much of her childhood visiting relatives there. This personal connection made the project feel like a homecoming as much as a charitable effort, drawing attention to how early-access public courts helped shape her own career.
During her visit on Monday afternoon, Gauff, along with her family, surprised dozens of kids from A’s and Aces, a year-round program that blends tennis and academic enrichment in partnership with the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission. She joined the children for a clinic, spoke with families, and thanked the community for embracing the renovation effort.
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The celebration ended in classic New Orleans fashion. The Kinfolk Brass Band led a second-line around the courts while Gauff danced alongside a group of children, spinning an umbrella and laughing as the crowd followed. A video from the day later appeared on Instagram, showing Gauff interacting with the players and sharing why this project mattered to her.
She said, “I grew up playing on public tennis courts in Delray Beach, Florida. So that was the first city that we did with this. And the second city was obviously one super close to me and it being in New Orleans. My dad is from here… New Orleans was an important community to me. I grew up coming here. I love the culture. I love the food.”
Candi Gauff later reshared the clip on her Instagram stories along with a couple of red heart emojis.
Coco Gauff’s mother on Instagram
How Does Gauff’s Initiative Tie Into the USTA’s Broader Vision for Public Tennis Courts?
The clip highlighted the significance of the initiative, which mirrors the $3 million prize she received for her US Open women’s singles title and is being executed through the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services program. In March 2024, she unveiled another refurbished site at Pompey Park in Delray Beach and hosted a clinic for children from the Delray Beach Youth Tennis Foundation.
The upgrades stemmed from the USTA’s Open Legacy Initiative, a program launched after her US Open victory, which aims to refurbish courts across the United States. Joe W. Brown Park’s 10 outdoor courts received a resurfacing, brand new nets, and fresh equipment for $110,000, with the work completed in May. The facility now hosts free lessons for adults and kids and is one of more than 100 locations selected by Gauff’s family to receive improvements nationwide.
