Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing
Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news
Coco Gauff has mocked a “hype post” created by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) as “hideous” as the US Open champion said the cartoon made her and her fellow American players look “so ugly”.
The social media post by the USTA depicted the seeded American players at this month’s Australian Open in the style of the Wild Thornberrys cartoon but was swiftly deleted as Gauff reacted in horror after seeing the image.
The US Open champion and world No 4 reacted to the social media post on her Instagram story and said it was the “worst thing I’ve ever seen”.
“Like a caricature artist decided to make [us] all look like hideous looking people,” Gauff said.
“The art style is cool for a cartoon show but not for a hype post. Foul.”
The 19-year-old added: “Y’all I know it is a cartoon show but I think I would prefer to be drawn as a Bratz art style and not this. This makes us all look so ugly.”
The American’s doubles partner and world No 5 Jessica Pegula voiced her agreement, replying to Gauff: ““Hahahahhaha we are ugly af,” she wrote.
Rising American star Ben Shelton, who was also depicted in the cartoon, also added: “I better not find out who did this.”
American players Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Emma Navarro were also featured in the post.
Coco Gauff opened her Australian Open campaign with a straight-sets win
(Getty Images)
Gauff began her Australian Open campaign on Monday as she brushed aside Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3 6-0 in exactly an hour, winning nine games in a row to set up a second-round clash with countrywoman Caroline Dolehide.
The match was Gauff’s first at a grand slam after her US Open win in September and afterwards she said: “I felt good. I was a little bit nervous coming in today. Probably you could tell. I was able to just calm down and then play, not my best, but good tennis from that point.”
