Coco Gauff, born on March 13, 2004, is an accomplished American professional tennis player currently ranked No. 2 in singles and No. 1 in doubles.
Her achievements include nine WTA singles titles, highlighted by her victory at the 2023 US Open and the 2024 WTA Finals, as well as nine doubles titles, including the 2024 French Open.
Gauff’s rapid rise in the tennis world underscores her talent and potential for continued success.
Gauff first captured widespread attention at 15 with her Wimbledon debut in 2019, where she defeated Venus Williams.
She further solidified her status by winning the 2019 Linz Open and reaching the finals of the 2022 French Open. Her junior career was also notable, featuring a US Open final at age 13 and a French Open girls’ title in 2018.
Parents
Coco is the daughter of Candi and Corey Gauff. Corey played basketball at Georgia State University, and Candi was a track and field athlete at Florida State University.
Coco also has two younger brothers named Codey and Cameron.
Recognizing her early athletic potential, her parents relocated from Atlanta back to their hometown of Delray Beach, Florida, to focus on her tennis career.
Candi, a former teacher, homeschooled Coco, allowing more time for training, while Corey initially coached her after leaving his job as a healthcare executive.
They supported her training at the Mouratoglou Academy in France. Both parents are American and remain married. As of 2024, Corey and Candi Gauff are both 53 years old.
Coco was inspired to play tennis after watching Serena and Venus Williams.
Her maternal grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, played a role in ending segregation at public schools, inspiring Coco to become involved in activism.
Career
Gauff’s journey in tennis is a tale of early promise blossoming into professional success.
Her formative years in junior tennis laid a solid groundwork, marked by exceptional achievements that signaled her potential.
From winning the USTA Clay Court National title at just 10 to becoming the youngest finalist at the US Open junior tournament at 13, Gauff consistently outperformed her peers.
A defining moment was capturing the 2018 French Open junior singles title, underscoring her versatility on different court surfaces.
These accomplishments propelled her to the world No. 1 junior ranking, setting the stage for her transition into the professional circuit.
Her senior career ignited with a spark at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. As a qualifier at just 15, Gauff stunned the tennis world by defeating Venus Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion.
This victory catapulted her into the spotlight and marked her as a rising star.
Later that year, she secured her first WTA singles title at the Linz Open, demonstrating her ability to convert potential into tangible success.
Her ascent continued with notable performances, including reaching her first major final in women’s doubles at the 2021 US Open and her first Grand Slam singles final at the 2022 French Open.
Gauff’s crowning achievement came at the 2023 U.S. Open, where she triumphed to claim her first Grand Slam singles title at age 19, solidifying her status as a top player.
By 2025, she had climbed to the No. 2 ranking in the world and amassed an impressive collection of nine singles and nine doubles titles, including the 2024 French Open doubles title, showcasing her prowess in both formats of the game.
