Fall 2026 has kept Coco Gauff busy off the court as well. New Balance has launched its new 983 model, with two brand ambassadors leading the global campaign: Gauff and rapper Aminé. The week of October 7 to 13 has been a special one for the launch. A promotional video appeared on the tennis player’s Instagram on October 7, and a dedicated Coco Gauff Collection section went live on New Balance’s website, highlighting a special offer available during those days.

How the 983 launched

The model was unveiled on September 1, 2026. A press release on the New Balance Press Box platform says the 983 reimagines 2000s running shoes. The sneakers combine signature New Balance elements, distinctive oval ABZORB SBS pods and a wavy outsole.

Global sales began on October 1, 2026, on NewBalance.com and at select retailers. The recommended retail price in the United States is $160. The U.S. product page says the model is available to members at newbalance.com and in select NB stores, where it is priced at $159.99. Sales in Japan began on October 1 at 10:00 local time. The first colorway was Shadow Blue, which was covered in detail by Modern Notoriety.

Gauff herself explained why she chose this particular pair in a New Balance Japan press release.

“I like things with a strong character that are easy to wear, so the 983 is my favorite: it goes with any look.” Coco Gauff, New Balance Japan press release (translation)api.tennis

Gauff discussed how the campaign came about in a New Balance Press Box feature introducing the model: “The campaign idea came about during a vision meeting with the New Balance team... I wanted to show different sides of my personality through style.”

Gauff’s week

The October wave of the campaign rolled out across her social media. From October 7 to 9, accounts and pages dedicated to Gauff posted promotional videos and posts captioned “The 983, worn by @cocogauff”. At the same time, the brand’s website featured a Coco Gauff Collection section, with the special offer listed as running from October 7 to 13.

Gauff was playing in Beijing on October 7. She lost to Elise Mertens 3:6, 3:6 in the fourth round. Earlier in the tournament, she had beaten Camila Osorio and Xinran Sun.

Eight years with New Balance

Gauff’s partnership with New Balance began long before the 983. She signed her first multi-year deal with the brand at the end of 2018, and in October 2022 the company announced a long-term extension.

Over the years, she has developed her own line of footwear. Her first signature tennis shoe, the Coco CG1, came out in August 2022, followed by the Coco CG2 in August 2024. For the 2026 Australian Open, the brand released her “AO 2026 Kit” with new colorways of the CG2 and Coco Delray. It was the first time fans could buy Gauff’s tournament kit.

Gauff clearly values her Melbourne looks. Back in 2025, she singled out her Australian New Balance kit as her favorite of the season’s outfits in an interview with Sports Illustrated.

“This year, aside from the Miu Miu collaborations, my favorite New Balance kit was at the Australian Open: sporty, confident, very ‘me’.” Coco Gauff, Sports Illustrated (Serve on SI), 2025api.tennis

The two fashion lines came together in 2026, with Gauff becoming the face of the New Balance × Miu Miu campaign, according to the project’s official page on the Miu Miu website.

Who is Coco off the court?

Gauff grew up in Delray Beach, Florida, in a sporting family. According to her WTA profile, her father, Corey, played basketball for Georgia State, while her mother, Candi, competed in gymnastics and track and field at Florida State. Coco spends her free time with her family, watching superhero movies and making videos for TikTok.

She also has partnerships beyond sportswear. Gauff works with Miu Miu Beauty (Miutine), Essence reported. For the 2025 US Open, she launched a signature protein smoothie and the pop-up Coco’s Corner as Naked’s “Chief Smoothie Officer,” Sports Illustrated reported. She is also an ambassador for Oura Ring 5. In an interview with Vogue, Coco said she uses the tracker to monitor her sleep and recovery.

“I’d been using Oura for a long time... I wore it a lot, actually. It’s really convenient to track what’s going on with me,” she told Vogue.

Gauff also took on a new role in 2026, making her debut as executive producer of two Tennis Channel short films in its Tennis Story series. Yahoo Sports reported this, citing the network’s announcement.

The season on court

Gauff won the 2023 US Open and 2025 Roland Garros in singles, and ended the 2024 season with a win at the WTA Finals. In 2026, she reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in her career, coming from behind in her match against Jessica Pegula. After the match, she told WTA.com that finding success on grass had not come easily.

“Considering that I hadn’t won a match on grass for two years before this... I’m really happy with how I played today.” Coco Gauff, WTA.comapi.tennis

In August, she won the WTA 1000 tournament in Cincinnati for the second time, beating Pegula again in the final, 6:2, 6:4. The official Cincinnati Open website noted that Gauff became only the third two-time champion of the tournament in the Open Era, after Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. At the 2026 US Open, she reached the semifinals and lost to Elena Rybakina, 6:3, 4:6, 4:6. Coco is currently fifth in the WTA rankings. She has a singles record of 44 wins and 13 losses this season, along with one title and two runner-up finishes.

What people are saying about the campaign

The fashion and sneaker communities have taken an interest in the 983. Nss magazine wrote about the model’s “sculptural appeal” and noted that Gauff and Aminé show how versatile the silhouette can be. Modern Notoriety, reporting on the Shadow Blue colorway, quoted Gauff on the campaign’s concept. Italy’s Sneakers Magazine called the 983 a modern reimagining of 2000s running shoes and highlighted Gauff and Aminé as the faces of the launch. Users in the r/NewBalance community on Reddit were discussing the model on announcement day, with some saying they wanted to pick up a pair when it became available.

What’s next

The campaign is ongoing. According to New Balance, retail distribution of the 983 is expanding this fall, although availability varies by region. The next major event on the tennis calendar is the WTA Finals, which will run from November 8 to 15, 2026. Gauff heads into it as one of the season’s leading figures.