Coco Gauff rips USTA post for making players 'look so ugly'

MELBOURNE, Australia -- 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff described a "hype post" piece of artwork, sent on social media Sunday by the United States Tennis Association, as "foul," claiming the cartoon drawing makes her and fellow Americans "look so ugly."

In the post, which has since been deleted, the USTA uploaded artwork wishing the best for the seeded Americans at the Australian Open, which began Sunday, in the style of cartoon television show "The Wild Thornberrys."

But according to Gauff, the world's No. 4 player who took to Instagram to voice her displeasure, the post missed the mark completely. She described the depictions as "hideous."

"Worst thing I've ever seen," Gauff said in an Instagram story Sunday. "Like a caricature artist decided to make [us] all look like hideous looking people.

"The art style is cool for a cartoon show but not for a hype post. Foul."

After drawing attention to the post on X, Gauff said the depiction made her and her compatriots look "ugly."

"Y'all I know it is a cartoon show but I think I would prefer to be drawn as a Bratz art style and not this. This is makes us all look so ugly," she said.

Fellow seeded American Jessica Pegula was not a fan either, replying to Gauff on X that they looked "ugly."

The post featured Gauff, Pegula, Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Emma Navarro.