Coco Gauff Honors Her Roots with the “Coco Delray” — A Shoe, A Story, and a Symbol of Home

She’s paying homage to her hometown — and doing it in style.

Tennis superstar Coco Gauff continues to redefine what it means to be a modern athlete: part champion, part changemaker, and fully authentic. According to The Hollywood Reporter (2025), the 21-year-old phenom celebrated her birthday on March 13th by unveiling her latest collaboration with New Balance—the “Coco Delray.” Far more than just another signature sneaker, the release represents a heartfelt tribute to her roots, her family, and the Florida community that shaped her.

At the heart of the campaign lies one of the most influential figures in Gauff’s life—her grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, a pioneering civil rights activist who became the first Black student to integrate Seacrest High School in Delray Beach in 1961 (Revolt, 2025). Through her grandmother’s powerful voice, the campaign video takes viewers on an emotional journey back to Pompey Park, where a young Coco first picked up a tennis racquet and learned to dream beyond the fences of her local public courts.

The short film—produced in collaboration with creative director Joe Freshgoods, known for his storytelling-driven campaigns—captures the essence of what Gauff represents: legacy, resilience, and purpose. As Vogue noted, the visuals blend “elevated fashion aesthetics with the raw emotion of community storytelling,” illustrating how Gauff’s greatness was born not in elite tennis academies, but in the everyday spaces of her hometown (Vogue, 2025).

“Delray Beach helped spark my tennis journey,” Gauff shared in a press statement. “So it’s special to me to tell the story of this community that influenced exactly why I love this sport.”

For Gauff, this release isn’t just about footwear—it’s a full-circle moment. The Coco Delray symbolizes gratitude, growth, and giving back. As Forbes highlighted, Gauff has long used her partnerships to champion inclusivity and access within tennis, an arena historically marked by barriers of privilege and cost (Forbes, 2024).

Evan Zeder, New Balance’s head of tennis sports marketing, explained that this collaboration mirrors both Gauff’s personal values and the company’s broader mission.

“It means a lot to Coco that anyone who wants to play tennis should be able to pick up a racquet and play,” said Zeder. “We wanted this shoe to be a statement about accessibility as much as performance.”

Unlike her previous high-performance models, the Coco Delray was designed to bridge the gap between athletic excellence and affordability. Priced at $110, the sneaker is intentionally more accessible than most elite tennis footwear. “It’s more than a shoe,” Gauff said. “It’s an opportunity to open doors for young players who might not have had access before.”

From a design perspective, the Coco Delray seamlessly merges style, substance, and sport. The model features New Balance’s FuelCell foam midsole for optimal responsiveness, a stabilizing nylon plate, and a hexagonal tread that provides traction across multiple surfaces—making it functional both on and off the court (Sports Illustrated, 2025). Additional colorways are slated for release throughout the year, ensuring the line remains as dynamic and evolving as its namesake.

But what makes this drop truly special is its emotional depth. Launching it on her 21st birthday—marking her transition into adulthood—Gauff took time to reflect on her journey from Delray Beach’s public courts to the grand stages of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. As ESPN observed, “Gauff’s story is a reminder that greatness doesn’t always begin in privilege—it begins with community and belief” (ESPN, 2025).

In many ways, the Coco Delray encapsulates Gauff’s identity: proud of her heritage, grounded in her values, and focused on creating opportunities for others. Through this collaboration, she continues to amplify the voices and places that made her who she is, reminding fans that true success is never achieved alone.

With her platform growing larger than ever—and her influence expanding beyond tennis—Coco Gauff stands as a model of modern athletic leadership. As The Guardian recently wrote, “Gauff embodies the new era of sport, where talent meets conscience and every victory carries a message” (The Guardian, 2025).

So here’s to Coco Gauff—an athlete who doesn’t just play the game but changes it. The Coco Delray isn’t just footwear; it’s a love letter to home, a bridge between past and future, and a reminder that the journey is every bit as important as the destination.

Happy 21st birthday, Coco. The best is yet to come.