Tennis star Coco Gauff ended a month-long social media hiatus to respond to negative comments about her natural hair in a recent Miu Miu advertising campaign.
The 22-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion, who is preparing to defend her French Open title, shared an eight-minute TikTok video addressing the backlash that followed the photoshoot.
In the campaign promoting the Vivant leather bag, Gauff appeared on her backyard tennis court wearing a preppy red polo and navy technical skirt.
She opted for minimal makeup and styled her 4C hair in a natural bun, a choice she explained was intentional to avoid damage from slicking it back.
Critics focused heavily on her unpolished appearance, prompting Gauff to temporarily delete her social media accounts after she encountered thousands of unkind remarks.
Gauff made clear she would not apologize for her look.
“I’m not gonna apologize for the way that my hair looked, because there are other girls who had the exact same hair as me, and I just wanted them to feel represented that your hair is literally fine the way it is,” she said in the video.
Gauff noted that her natural texture was deemed suitable for a high-fashion brand.
“If my 4C hair is good enough for that, yours is good enough to do whatever it is you need it to do,” she said.
The American player acknowledged feeling down for a couple of days but emphasized resilience. She encouraged young Black girls with kinky hair to embrace their choices, pointing out that those who criticize natural presentations often reveal their own insecurities.
“Do what you want to do with your hair,” she advised, underscoring that both minimal and expressive styles hold beauty.
Gauff, a prominent advocate for self-acceptance, returns her focus to the clay-court season while reminding fans that confidence outweighs online judgment. Her response has drawn supportive reactions from many followers who praised her authenticity.