At just 21, Coco Gauff stands tall, ranked No. 2 in the world, a Roland Garros champion, and a fearless warrior on tennis’s grandest stages. While Wimbledon may still test her, her legacy is already thundering. But Coco’s power has never been confined to the baseline. She made it clear even as a teenager: “I feel like I have a responsibility with the platform tennis has given me to not use it in vain.” She’s never blinked in the face of inequality, always raising her voice against injustice. Now, her fire fuels a bold new vision, and Coco Gauff becomes a South Florida artist’s muse in an empowering project.

In a recent WRLN report, the Cornell Art Museum in Delray Beach has come alive with a bold pop culture exhibition that is vibrant, visceral, and unapologetically loud. The centerpiece? A striking new work from acclaimed Haitian-American artist Harold Caudio, renowned for crafting portraits of icons like Bob Marley, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, and Will Smith entirely out of Skittles candy. But this time, Caudio is shifting lanes. His latest creation, “Warri-Her,” is hand-sewn from yarn, raw with emotion and fire, and inspired by the unwavering strength of his late mother.

“Warri-Her” isn’t just a title, it’s a battle cry. A fierce twist on the word “warrior,” it opens a new chapter in Caudio’s empowerment-driven portfolio. This piece, drenched in purpose and legacy, will be showcased alongside his iconic candy portraits, weaving together sweetness and strength, culture and courage. And on July 19, Caudio will unveil the crown jewel of his homage series, a portrait of tennis star and hometown powerhouse Coco Gauff. “She represents authenticity to me,” Caudio said. “It’s like the way she moves in this world, like she speaks up. She shows what belief looks like when people doubt you.”

Harold Caudio, the Palm Beach County-based artist, has long made waves with portraits that honor cultural icons and amplify the soul of social movements. His Skittles concept, originally born as sharp-edged social commentary, earned national attention with a haunting tribute to Trayvon Martin, the teen slain in 2012 while holding Skittles and iced tea. “I wanted them to feel seen,” Caudio added. “So whenever women look at that piece, I want them to feel like you know, they’re the warrior that I’m talking about.”

Now, Caudio ditches candy for yarn, but the message hits just as hard. After years of meticulously crafting Skittles portraits, a medium he once labored over for months, he found creative renewal in threads. His new yarn-based works signal a fearless shift, not in purpose, but in power. On July 19, he takes center stage for “Not Candy,” a special artist talk under the museum’s electrifying “Pop Culture” exhibition. And when the curtain closes on September 28, Caudio plans to gift his Coco Gauff portrait to her family, art with a heartbeat and legacy.

And as Gauff becomes a symbol of women’s strength, one question lingers like a soulful refrain: Who first ignited that spark in her to fight for something greater?

Coco Gauff honored her grandmother’s legacy in her life

TIME magazine recognized Coco Gauff as one of its Women of the Year in March 2024, a prestigious award extending beyond the world of tennis. As she stood before the world to accept the honor, the then World No. 3 used the moment to pay tribute to the woman who first taught her what courage looks like: her grandmother. “My grandmother, Yvonne, was the first Black woman to integrate the Delray Beach School system, has encouraged me to use my platform for positive change and to never underestimate the impact of my voice,” Gauff shared, her words cutting deep with grace and grit.

She didn’t stop there. Gauff peeled back the layers of her family legacy, recalling the battles her grandmother fought during the civil rights era. “63 years ago, my grandmother had to fight for girls like me to even have a fair education. And now, generations later, I am able to make my own impact on the same city, but only because of what she accomplished.” Her speech echoed with history, pain, and purpose—an emotional bridge between generations.

“Waving to the young girls in tennis, knowing that my presence and influence of what they see in their own life is incredibly meaningful. I am still a teenager and still learning to use my voice, and I am still being inspired by all the great women around me and the spotlight on empowering women and supporting each other,” she added.

But with honor comes weight. The crown of inspiration sits heavy, and now, all eyes turn to her at the US Open after her shocking first-round exit from Wimbledon. Can Coco carry that torch forward and hoist the American flag high once again?