‘Maybe someone at the airport tips them off’: Coco Gauff raises alarm over athletes being stalked at airports

Coco Gauff recently opened up about her experiences with stalkers at airports and her concerns over how some individuals have accessed her personal information. As the World No. 3, Gauff has become one of the most marketable and highest-paid female athletes, drawing significant public attention.

While Gauff enjoys immense support from fans worldwide, she has also faced unsettling encounters, similar to other athletes who have reported instances of stalking.

Recently, Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, a track and field star, shared in a TikTok video that she has been stalked at airports across different cities. “It doesn’t matter what city. They’ve approached me when I was traveling to and from Chicago, as well as Miami. And they have my flight information.”

“What scares me is that they know my flight details even when I don’t always know them myself. I don’t share my flight information with anyone,” Thomas added.

Responding to Thomas’s video, 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff admitted she has had similar experiences and speculated on how stalkers might be obtaining athletes’ flight details. “This happens to me too. I don’t know how it happens. My theory is that someone at the airport might be tipping them off.”

Gauff has topped the list of highest-paid female athletes in both 2023 and 2024, increasing media attention and public scrutiny. The World No. 3 is set to begin her Middle East swing next week, making her debut at the Qatar Open on February 10, where she will compete alongside Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, and other top players.