Once a teenage prodigy, Coco Gauff is now one of the best tennis players on the planet, with a star power that continues to reverberate outside the tennis court exponentially. On the way there, there have been many who’ve lifted Gauff up, and others who’ve tried in vain to hold her down, along the way. And she’s soared in spite of it all.
She’s telling that story 30 short seconds in a striking new advertisement for the upcoming “Wicked” sequel, “Wicked: For Good.”
In the ad, the two-time Grand Slam champion swings freely on the tennis court in tribute to the two-part Hollywood blockbuster by director John M. Chu, which is based on the Stephen Schwartz musical that tells the “untold story” of the famous witches of “The Wizard of Oz,” Elphaba and Glinda.
Wearing on-theme pink and green, Gauff speaks to her experiences as a wunderkind-turned-superstar in a clip that’s jam-packed with allusions to the vivid world of Oz.
Read more: Jim Courier: A movie will be made about “inspirational” Coco Gauff after US Open struggles
The lines of the tennis court are transformed into a yellow (gold) brick road as Gauff plays a point, as positive and negative news headlines swirl around her. But instead of being brought down by the pressure, she soars, inspired by the word “unlimited” written across the sky. The moment is a clear reference to one of the musical’s other iconic songs, “Defying Gravity,” where Elphaba famously embraces her identity, becoming who she is meant to be.
