General Mills Communications
763-764-6364
Media.Line@genmills.com
Edelman
Caroline Leary
Caroline.Leary@edelman.com
After gracing the box this spring, sports icon Billie Jean King proudly passes the Wheaties Champion torch to Coco Gauff.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Wheaties announced today its latest limited-edition box featuring tennis champion and role model for young athletes everywhere, Coco Gauff. Wheaties has been celebrating incredible athletes for more than 100 years, and Gauff’s announcement comes on the heels of sports icon and equality champion Billie Jean King’s box debut earlier this year, and just in time to kick off at the 2024 US Open Fan Week.
“At the age of 20, Coco Gauff is already showing the world that anything is possible when you dare to dream — the definition of a Wheaties Champion,” said KC Glaser, senior brand experience manager for Wheaties. “We are thrilled to recognize Coco as our newest Wheaties champion amid her incredible season on the court and her ongoing activism work off the court.”
In 2023, Gauff accomplished another dream when at 19 years old she became the youngest American to win the US Open Tennis Championships since Serena Williams in 1999. Today, she holds seven Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles titles and is the #2 ranked women’s singles player in the world. In 2024, Gauff was the only athlete and youngest honoree named to TIME’s Women of the Year list.
A fighter and champion on and off the court, Gauff is known for her activism, using her voice to fight social and racial inequalities and working to make tennis more accessible for children in underprivileged areas.
In honor of her first Wheaties cover, Gauff will join Billie Jean King on stage at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during US Open Fan Week on August 20, 2024. During the event, King, a 39-time Grand Slam champion, will pass the Wheaties Champion torch to Gauff, celebrating another generation of greatness. The two will share their experiences from the worlds of sports and activism, how those experiences have shaped their careers, and what it means to be a Wheaties Champion.
“It is an honor to be on the next Wheaties box, especially as the legendary Billie Jean King passes the historic ‘Wheaties Champion’ title onto me,” said Gauff. “I’ve had so many role models in this sport help guide my professional and personal journey, and I hope to keep empowering the next generation to also work hard and dream big.”
Coco Gauff’s limited-edition Wheaties box will be available at major retailers starting this month for $6.19. While Wheaties continues to honor world class athletes with its signature Orange Box, the brand is also celebrating everyday athletes everywhere with Wheaties Protein cereal, announced earlier this year. This innovation from Wheaties is the highest protein cereal offering from General Mills to date with more than 20g of protein per serving and is available nationwide in two delicious flavors, Honey Pecan and Maple Almond.
At the age of 20, Coco Gauff is already showing the world that anything is possible when you dare to dream — the definition of a Wheaties Champion.
General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to boldly build its brands, relentlessly innovate, unleash its scale and stand for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names like Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Totino’s, Annie’s, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. General Mills generated fiscal 2024 net sales of U.S. $20 billion. In addition, the company’s share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1 billion.
