The American beat Uzbek Rakhimova in the first round and took to the court with a new look in tribute to Jannik

There was little doubt that Jannik Sinner had become an icon in the world of tennis. But given the Italian’s understated style, it was quite unexpected that some of his colleagues would imitate his look. However, in Melbourne, on the courts of the Australian Open women’s tournament, there was a surprise: Coco Gauff, winner of the last Roland Garros and the 2023 US Open, former child prodigy of the racket, showed up for her first-round match against Uzbekistan’s Rakhimova with her hair dyed red.

Coco Gauff’s red hair—  “I thought it was a good idea since there’s a guy with red hair on the tour who’s doing pretty well,” she joked at the press conference. “Jannik has a good record here, while I don’t.” The Italian, on the other hand, will start the Australian Slam tomorrow on the strength of two consecutive titles, while the American has never gone beyond the semifinals, which she reached in 2024. Will the new look be enough to change her history in Australia?