Coco Gauff Reveals She Plans Grand Slam Outfits ‘2 Years’ in Advance: ‘There’s a Lot of Thought’ (Exclusive)

Coco Gauff takes her outfits seriously, especially when she’s prepping for a Grand Slam tournament. 

“My Grand Slam outfits are planned basically a year to two years, even maybe sometimes longer in advance,” the tennis star, 20, tells PEOPLE exclusively on how she comes up with a look ahead of major matches. This includes Wimbledon, the prestigious Grand Slam where she famously defeated her role model Venus Williams in the first round in 2019 at age 15, and where she is currently competing. 

Gauff, who once rocked a neon two-piece at the 2023 US Open, adds that things can always be changed and the final ensemble isn’t “set in stone” until the big day, but for the most part, she has a vision she sticks to. 

The athlete has also experimented with her hair. She recently switched things up by going honey blonde. “Honestly, the inspiration pic was from [Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's daughter] Willow Smith,” she says. 

Gauff says expressing herself through her sense of style on and off the court is something she feels “very passionate about.” And with the 2024 Summer Olympics around the corner (the Games will officially kick off on July 26), we can only imagine what Gauff has up her sleeve! 

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In addition to her wardrobe, Gauff prioritizes maintaining a work-life balance and her diet (she partnered with healthy beverage brand Naked for this reason) while she trains. 

She’s accustomed to the grind that comes with the game, but still looks to her support system to get her through tough times.

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

"There are times, yes, I do feel homesick and feel overwhelmed," she tells PEOPLE. "But I am thankful that my parents are able to travel with me a lot, so they help a lot."

And “every now and then” Gauff says some of her pals “pop in” to cheer her on at a match, as does her boyfriend, whose identity she’s kept private in the time that they’ve been dating.