\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tby Edwian Stokes <\/p>\n
July 3, 2026<\/p>\n
iROC Media Group teams with Tennis Channel and Religion of Sports for new premium series<\/p>\n
Grand Slam champion\u00a0Coco Gauff\u00a0is making her filmmaking debut with two original \u201cTennis Story\u201d documentary shorts on tennis history and trailblazer\u00a0Zina Garrison<\/a>. She has partnered with Tennis Channel and Religion of Sports to executive produce these projects.<\/p>\n Gauff\u2019s production company,\u00a0iROC Media Group<\/a>, will co-produce the projects with\u00a0Religion of Sports<\/a>, the award-winning collective co-founded by Tom Brady and Michael Strahan. The documentaries will premiere later this summer on\u00a0Tennis Channel<\/a>\u00a0and its app.\u00a0Blex Media<\/em>\u00a0says this marks the first in a series of premium releases.<\/p>\n The first untitled film studies the evolution of tennis fashion as a platform for cultural articulation and identity, both on and off the court.<\/p>\n The second project spotlights tennis legend Zina Garrison. <\/a>According to USTS, Garrison became the first African American woman to reach a Wimbledon singles final since Althea Gibson, who achieved the feat in 1957 and 1958. Garrison reached the Wimbledon final in 1990, and Olympics.com reports that she also earned Olympic gold and bronze medals at the 1988 Seoul Games.<\/p>\n By using her growing media empire to\u00a0spotlight Garrison<\/a>, Gauff bridges generational divides and honors pioneers who endured system-wide hurdles. Gauff said she was inspired to explore these topics by her own experiences as a young Black athlete navigating the world of tennis and by a desire to learn from and elevate stories that resonate with her. Highlighting figures like Garrison connects her journey to those who came before, emphasizing the impact of representation and the importance of sharing underrepresented histories. This broader purpose frames the project within Gauff\u2019s expanding role as a storyteller.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve always loved how tennis extends beyond the court and influences culture,\u201d Gauff said in a statement. \u201cZina Garrison\u2019s story is equally personal to me. She is a trailblazer whose resilience, excellence, and impact on the game have inspired generations, including me.\u201d<\/p>\n Vashni Korin\u00a0will direct the production, with\u00a0Chelsea Marotta\u00a0serving as producer.<\/p>\n Tennis Channel CEO\u00a0Jeff Blackburn\u00a0praised Gauff\u2019s new venture, noting her ability and foresight as a champion now shine through her storytelling. In addition, Tennis Channel launched \u201cTennis Story: The Vault,\u201d a curated streaming collection of 20 short documentaries featuring global icons like Kobe Bryant and Ben Shelton.<\/p>\n Gauff\u2019s move into executive production reflects a broader trend of young Black athletes shaping their own narratives. Her debut fits with the shift toward athlete-led storytelling, following stars like LeBron James, who produced \u201cShut Up and Dribble,\u201d and Serena Williams, whose docuseries explored her career on and off the court. By joining these leaders, Gauff spotlights the growing movement of athletes using documentary film as a platform for authentic representation.<\/p>\n RELATED CONTENT: Carol\u2019s Daughter Is Coco Gauff\u2019s Official Hair Sponsor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Edwian Stokes July 3, 2026 iROC Media Group teams with Tennis Channel and Religion of Sports for new premium series Grand Slam champion\u00a0Coco Gauff\u00a0is making her filmmaking debut with two original \u201cTennis Story\u201d documentary shorts on tennis history and trailblazer\u00a0Zina Garrison. She has partnered with Tennis Channel and Religion of Sports to executive produce […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32892,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10666],"tags":[22996,1347,785,2954,4670,15604,11930,1431],"class_list":["post-32891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reparations","tag-african-american-tennis-players","tag-channel","tag-coco","tag-documentary","tag-filmmaker","tag-gauff","tag-tennis","tag-turns"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",0,0,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",0,0,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",0,0,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",150,150,false],"medium":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",300,300,false],"large":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",1024,1024,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",1536,1536,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",2048,2048,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",370,265,false],"kava-thumb-s":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",150,85,false],"kava-thumb-s-2":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",230,230,false],"kava-thumb-m":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",400,400,false],"kava-thumb-m-vertical":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",370,500,false],"kava-thumb-m-2":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",570,450,false],"kava-thumb-l":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",1170,650,false],"kava-thumb-xl":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",1920,1080,false],"kava-thumb-masonry":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",600,999,false],"kava-thumb-justify":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",640,640,false],"kava-thumb-justify-2":["https:\/\/blackenterprise-prod.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2024\/04\/IMG_9860.jpeg",1280,640,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"#RiseCelestialStudios","author_link":"https:\/\/design-providers.com\/rise\/author\/ralph-c\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"REPARATIONS NEWS<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"by Edwian Stokes July 3, 2026 iROC Media Group teams with Tennis Channel and Religion of Sports for new premium series Grand Slam champion\u00a0Coco Gauff\u00a0is making her filmmaking debut with two original \u201cTennis Story\u201d documentary shorts on tennis history and trailblazer\u00a0Zina Garrison. 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