Tuesday, Coco Gauff became the newest face to grace the famed General Mills Wheaties cereal box. She joins a long list of athletes who have once graced the cereal box, known as the “breakfast of champions.”
While the front of the box shows Gauff passionate in action, the back of the box details Gauff’s early journey as a tennis player, and how she was inspired from a young age by Venus and Serena Williams.
The new title is befitting of the 20-year old champion. On top of being a Grand Slam champion in both singles and doubles, she made history at the 2023 US Open becoming the youngest American to win the match since Serena Williams in 1999. Today, she holds seven Women’s Tennis Association singles titles and is the number two ranked women’s singles player in the world. In 2024, Gauff was the only athlete and youngest honoree named to TIME‘s Women of the Year list.
“It means a lot to be on the Wheaties box, especially as legendary as Wheaties,” Gauff tells ESSENCE. “And being able to follow Billie Jean King is also a huge honor, so I’m really happy and excited to kind of share it with everybody.”
The announcement comes on the heels of tennis legend and activist Billie Jean King’s Wheaties box debut earlier this year, and roughly one year after earning her U.S. Open title. And the timing is perfect, as it kicks off the 2024 US Open Fan Week. On August 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 such a go-getter type person,” Gauff says. “If I had to do a quote that would describe her definitely—she is the why not me type of person because she just pushes the boundaries. I know what she did wasn’t easy at all,” she continues. The tennis star is referring to the Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients advocacy and activism while simultaneously killing it on the tennis court. King won 39 Grand Slam titles in her career, and in 1973, she won the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match against Bobby Riggs. King is also renowned for fighting for equal pay in the sport.
Similar to WTA organizer, Gauff is also looking to be an advocate, both on and off the court. “For me, you’re a person before you’re an athlete. I know in the past, people have told athletes to stick to their sport, stick to being athlete, but at the end of day, you’re a person,” she says. “But when I walk into the [grocery] store, they’re gonna see me as a black woman before they see me as a tennis player, or anything like that.”
“At the age of 20, 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 brand experience manager for Wheaties. “We are thrilled to recognize coco as our newest Wheaties champion amid her incredible season on the court and her ongoing activism work off the court.”
Coco Gauff is on a journey to becoming one of the world’s top tennis players. Despite her youth, she has consistently set ambitious goals and remained steadfast in her pursuit of them, even when faced with challenges. In reflecting on her path to success, Coco points out the importance of trusting your own instincts and not letting external influences dictate your potential. As she puts it, “I think for me, [it’s important] to dream big, I think from a young age, I’ve stated my dreams, and I never wavered on that,” Gauff says. “Just know that, you’re the only person that can even gauge your skill, and sometimes even you don’t know your own potential. Sometimes you can go further than that, but for me, just know where you wanna be and then stick to that. Don’t let outsiders or other people kind of change your view on yourself because, at the end of the day, you’re the one putting in the work. You’re the one who has to go out there to compete, and so only you know how far you can go.”
Coco Gauff’s limited-edition Wheaties packaging will 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 everyday athletes with the launch of Wheaties Protein cereal, introduced earlier this year. This new offering is General Mills’ highest-protein cereal to date, boasting over 20g of protein per serving, and is available nationwide in two delicious flavors: Honey Pecan and Maple Almond.
