Tennis star Coco Gauff has publicly backed R&B singer Ravyn Lenae’s third studio album, Blue Island, highlighting a genuine friendship forged away from the tour circuit. The pair met in London last July and have since built a natural bond, offering Gauff a welcome break from professional sports.
How a London Summer Sparked an Unlikely Friendship
While competing at the National Bank Open, Coco Gauff reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set, but the tennis star still found time to champion her friend’s latest musical release. The pair first crossed paths in London last July. Lenae was in the UK capital to perform at the Love Supreme festival at Glynde Place, while Gauff happened to have unexpected free time following a first-round exit at Wimbledon against Dayana Yastremska.
What started as a chance meeting blossomed into a regular off-court friendship. Gauff and Lenae have since attended high-profile gatherings together, including the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and Art Basel Miami Beach. For Gauff, the relationship offers a crucial psychological exit from the intense confines of professional tennis.
“We both, out of the blue, just met up with each other. Just two young girls trying to be successful in different fields, and we just wanted to try to see if there’s a friendship there.”
Coco Gauff, via Wtatennis
That organic connection has given the athlete a reliable anchor away from the tour. I’ve been trying to become more friends with people outside of tennis, just so I can have a break, and I’m glad that it’s been so natural with her,
Gauff noted.
Parallel Rises in Sports and Sound
The friendship coincides with career milestones for both young stars. In 2025, Gauff claimed her second major crown at Roland Garros, cementing her status among multiple-time Slam champions. At the same time, Lenae experienced a massive career breakthrough when her retro-soul track Love Me Not
—drawn from her 2024 album Bird’s Eye—went viral and cracked the Top 10 worldwide.
That viral success transformed the experimental singer-songwriter into a mainstream sensation, though it also brought unexpected cultural friction. Lenae found herself navigating public debates surrounding genre classification and expectations placed on Black women in music.
“‘Love Me Not’ sparked a lot of interest in my career, but also sparked a lot of conversation in culture and Blackness and how Black women should sit in music and what’s expected and accepted.”
Ravyn Lenae, via Marie Claire
Rather than bowing to genre constraints, the Chicago native leaned directly into her eclectic instincts. Released via Atlantic Records, Blue Island blends neo-soul, alt-R&B, bubblegum pop, and rock across 14 tracks.
Musical Roots and Broad Influences on Blue Island
Lenae’s kaleidoscopic sound draws on a diverse foundation of childhood memories and foundational pop landmarks. Growing up, her mother introduced her to Destiny’s Child and female pop icons, while her father played OutKast—particularly Speakerboxx/The Love Below—instilling an appreciation for off-kilter, genre-bending production. She also counts Justin Bieber’s debut album My World and Nelly Furtado’s Loose among her definitive listening experiences.
That taste for rule-breaking arrangement echoes in her own creative process. Blue Island features collaborations with Doechii and Dominic Fike, underpinned by sonic nods ranging from 1980s synthesizer experiments and MIDI production to Brazilian jazz and Bollywood music.
“I’m someone who loves to take multiple sources and artists and sounds and mix them into one pot.”
Ravyn Lenae, via Marie Claire
Visual and theatrical inspirations also shape her artistry. Witnessing Lady Gaga perform Paparazzi
at the 2009 VMAs left a lasting impression on Lenae, teaching her that live performance carries no creative limits. She similarly draws inspiration from artists like Rosalía, André 3000, Leikeli47, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna, and Richie Havens.
Fanfare From the Tour and What Comes Next
Gauff has wasted no time using her platform to promote her friend’s new material, proving her fandom extends well beyond surface-level streaming.
“Go stream Blue Island. I love Ravyn so much. I think she’s so talented and so underrated. I think her hit Love Me Not obviously brought more eyes on her.”
Coco Gauff, via Wtatennis
Demonstrating a deep dive into the tracklist, Gauff singled out the Prince-esque deep cut Barriers
—characterized by layered vocals and a slow-building melody—as her favorite offering on the project rather than sticking to the lead singles. With Blue Island now out in the world, Lenae moves forward into her post-viral chapter backed by critical praise, a loyal artistic community, and a world-class tennis champion cheering her on from the quarterfinals.
Keep reading
