Before Coco Gauff took the court for her second round match at the Australian Open, the news was already out in Melbourne. She had given $150,000 to the United Negro College Fund, money set aside for scholarships for tennis players at historically Black colleges and universities.
The gift, announced by UNCF in January, was her second in two years. A $100,000 donation in 2025 brought her total to $250,000, and it made her, at 21, the youngest major gifts donor in UNCF’s history. The money funds the Coco Gauff Scholarship Program, which UNCF administers for student athletes who play competitive tennis.
“I am honored once again to give back and support the incredible work that UNCF does to help HBCU students get to and through college,” Gauff said. “Education has the power to change lives, and I hope this gift will help students achieve their dreams.”
A Family History With HBCUs
Gauff explained the gift herself in her post-match press conference, after she beat Olga Danilovic to reach the third round. The cause, she said, runs through her own family tree.
“It’s super important to me,” she said. “I think if I didn’t play tennis, I would have loved to attend an HBCU. I have family members on both sides, both my grandmothers went to HBCUs, uncle and aunt went to HBCU, and growing up just attending, going to HBCU Classic games and things like that.”
She pointed to a gap anyone who follows college tennis can see. “I feel like HBCU tennis a lot of times doesn’t get the funding that they need,” she said. “I’m happy that I was able to do this for the second year in a row.”
Ten Scholars at Six Schools
The program has already put money in students’ hands. UNCF awarded scholarships to 10 eligible student athletes at six institutions: Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Albany State University, Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, Livingstone College and Tuskegee University.
Maurice E. Jenkins Jr., UNCF’s executive vice president and chief development officer, framed the second gift as a pattern, not a one-time gesture. “We are immensely grateful to Coco Gauff for her generosity and ongoing commitment to our mission,” Jenkins said. “As a role model both on and off the court, Gauff’s philanthropic efforts continue to inspire young people across the nation.”
The scale of UNCF gives the program its reach. Founded in 1944, the organization has raised more than $6 billion, awards more than 11,000 scholarships a year totaling more than $62 million, and supports students at 37 member HBCUs among more than 600 colleges and universities. Gauff’s program sits inside that machinery, aimed at one sport where costs for travel, coaching and equipment fall hard on players and their families. Her giving joins a run of HBCU gifts The Social Register has tracked this season, including the Kinsey family’s $2 million gift to Florida A&M’s Marching 100.
What Comes Next
Details for the next round of scholarship openings will be posted on UNCF’s scholarships page, and UNCF has not yet announced the application window. Gauff, ranked world No. 3 when the gift was announced, holds 11 career singles titles, including the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open.
“My hope is that this scholarship gives more young Black players the confidence to chase their dreams, knowing they have a strong community behind them and a bright future ahead,” Gauff said.
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