EXCLUSIVE: Nine months after launching her own production banner, tennis star Coco Gauff is serving up her debut projects.
Gauff, who won the French Open last year, has teamed up with the Tennis Channel for two documentaries, the first to emerge from her company iROC Media Group.
The projects, both short documentaries, include one that explores the history of fashion in tennis, tracing the sport’s most iconic moments and the culture they helped shape, and the other is a portrait of Zina Garrison, the American tennis champion and a personal hero of Gauff’s.
Both films, which are expected to premiere later this summer, are directed by Vashni Korin (You Can’t Stop Spirit) and exec produced by Gauff. They are being produced by Gauff’s iROC and Religion of Sports, the company co-founded by Tom Brady, which has a partnership with the former.
The untitled films are part of the Tennis Channel’s documentary strand Tennis Story alongside five other films coming out later this year. The network is also launching Tennis Story: The Vault, a curated collection of 20 docu-shorts spanning the last decade that feature the likes of Kobe Bryant, Andy Murray, Ryan Day, San Quentin, Lerner Tien, Ben Shelton and Iva Jovic.
“I’ve always loved how tennis extends beyond the court and influences culture, which is what drew me to these two stories,” said Gauff. “Fashion has been one of the sport’s most powerful forms of self-expression, and I’m excited to explore how iconic players and moments have shaped the way we see tennis and ourselves. Zina Garrison’s story is equally personal to me. She is a trailblazer whose resilience, excellence, and impact on the game have inspired generations, including me. Through these films, I hope to celebrate the people and cultural forces that have helped define tennis and continue to shape its future.”
“Coco Gauff is one of the most gifted athletes of her generation and her legacy on the court speaks for itself,” added Tennis Channel CEO Jeff Blackburn. “What excites us most is knowing that the same talent and vision that has made her a champion is now being channeled into storytelling. We’re thrilled to be the home of her filmmaking debut.”
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