Coco vs. Swifties: Gauff nominated for People’s Choice Award alongside Travis Kelce

The reigning US Open champion earned the nod for Athlete of the Year, but can she face down the Swiftie-boosted Kelce and other legends like LeBron James and Simone Biles?

Published Jan 19, 2024

Ah, the People’s Choice Awards, where the fans are in charge.

And the fans will certainly have a lot to say about the hotly-contest Athlete of the Year ballot, which pits US Open champion Coco Gauff against Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce—who just so happens to be dating Taylor Swift.

The news has tennis fans wondering, "So baby now we got bad blood?" and also "Who will Taylor Swift superfan Iga Swiatek vote for?"

Gauff, who is currently competing at the 2024 Australian Open and putting the ME! in Melbourne after an unbeaten start to her season, leads a stacked shortlist that also includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Simone Biles, but Kelce sounds surprised to have made it amongst the nominees.

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“What did I do to get Athlete of the Year? I did [Saturday Night Live]?” he jokes on the New Heights podcast.

The two-time Super Bowl champion competed in the Pro Bowl for a whopping ninth time in 2023, and is considered by some to be one of the greatest tight ends of all time.

Gauff is yet to reach those heights in tennis, but is enjoying an incredible start to her own career after winning her first Grand Slam title in Flushing Meadows at only 19 years old. The American earned a career-high singles ranking of No. 3 last September and has already been No. 1 in doubles, reaching two finals with Caty McNally and Jessica Pegula.

Fans can cast one vote a day in each category, and Gauff will have to contend not only against her fellow nominees, but also the impressively-activated Swifties, who will undoubtedly aim to boost Kelce while the polls are open.

Will enough voters fill Gauff’s name in the Blank Space? Speak Now, or forever (& always) hold your peace.