Tennis champ Coco Gauff responded to online criticism after the athlete’s sizzling photoshoot highlighting her natural hair.
“So, I deleted TikTok and Twitter for a month,” Gauff, 22, began in a Thursday, April 9, TikTok video. “[When I returned, I saw] 1000’s of individuals talking in regards to the way that I look and never in a positive way.”
Gauff shared photos from a Miu Miu campaign via Instagram earlier this month.
“Big bag day means my @miumiu Vivant can carry absolutely anything I want 🤎,” she wrote via Instagram on April 2, sharing photos of herself posing on a tennis court.
Within the snaps, Gauff wore a red polo and navy skirt from the famed brand, which she accessorized with a leather tote bag. For glam, she wore minimal makeup and tied her tresses in an updo.
“It was literally me and my social person. We shot that ‘shoot’ in my parents backyard,” Gauff explained on Thursday. “The creative concept … was to point out how [the bag] could be utilized in on a regular basis scenarios.”
For the campaign, Gauff also served as her own stylist.
“I did my hair and my makeup [and] that’s exactly how my hair and my makeup searched for dinner [after the shoot],” she stated. “We took the photos and, like I said, the concept was using the bag on a regular basis, so I did my on a regular basis hair and makeup because that’s what was said to do. I personally don’t prefer to slick back my hair super sleek since it does damage my hair.”
@cocogauff ❤️
Gauff acknowledged that she has “4C hair,” commonly defined as a variety of curl that could be very tight and springy. Attempts to slick back or straighten tight curls can damage an individual’s natural hair.
“I do play tennis, so more often than not after I’m wearing it in a bun, I decide to allow my natural hair to be at present in its 4C self,” she stated. “I don’t want it to be super slicked back because that’s just not good for my hair. That’s how I do my hair.”
Gauff further stressed that she didn’t wish to “apologize for the way in which [her] hair looked” because each she and her friends liked the styling within the moment and when the photos were released.
“There are other girls who’ve the very same hair as me and I just wanted them to see [and] feel represented that your hair is literally nice the way in which it’s,” the tennis phenom said. “My hair was ok for a high-fashion fashionable brand Miu Miu to advertise one in all their newest launches. If my 4c hair is sweet enough for that, then yours is sweet enough to do whatever you wish it to do. I’m not going to apologize for that.”
Gauff’s look was also championed by several of her famous friends.
“You’re amazing. sending you LOVE,” Kerry Washington wrote within the comments section, while Angel Reese added, “You’re gorgeous QUEEN! Love you, my girl.”
Chloe Kim also replied, writing, “You’re so so beautiful I can’t consider anyone’s saying otherwise?!”