When Coco Gauff stepped in front of the camera for her recent Miu Miu campaign, the focus should have been on her crossover into high fashion. Instead, she had to face criticism for her hair. But the 22-year-old responded to that with her unbothered confidence.
Coco Gauff Embraces Her Natural Hair to Rise Above Miu Miu Shoot Backlash
On her latest Instagram Story, the 22-year-old dismissed the noise about her hair entirely, posting a photo with a caption: “idc i love my hair in every state. Period.”
It all started after April 2, when Gauff, an ambassador for the brand Miu Miu, shared photos of their new “Vivant” bag campaign. The photoshoot had a casual, relatable vibe, photographed right in the comfortable setting of her parents’ backyard. Gauff wore a red polo shirt, a pleated skirt, and loafers, styling her natural curly hair in a simple, everyday bun.
But the reactions were mixed. While many appreciated her minimalistic look, many called it “unkempt” and asked why she didn’t use heavy gel to slick down her edges for a luxury brand shoot.
Gauff was hurt by the comments, at first, admitting she deleted her social media apps for a few days to protect her peace. But she later stood up for her hair, saying that while Miu Miu provided the aesthetic, she retained full control over the final look. “The girls who get it, get it; the girls who don’t, don’t,” she said.
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The world No. 3 addressed the backlash in a candid TikTok video, “I personally don’t like to slick back my hair super sleek, because it does damage my hair… I’m not going to apologize for the way that my hair looked… My hair was good enough for a high-fashion brand like Miu Miu to promote one of their newest launches. So if my 4C hair is good enough for that, then yours is good enough to do whatever you need it to do.”
While she handles the off-court fame and scrutiny, Gauff remains entirely focused on her game. She had a notable campaign this year at the Miami Open, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
Now, on the red clay at the Stuttgart Open, she is set to play against Liudmila Samsonova in the Round of 16. Gauff has a 16-6 win-loss record this season, beginning with a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open, where she lost to Elina Svitolina, who also beat her in the semifinals in Dubai. The reigning French Open champion will look for her first title of 2026 on clay.
