Coco Gauff's rarely-seen parents gave up their careers for her tennis dream

Publish date: 2024-06-10

The American tennis star will compete in the Australian Open this weekend

Tennis star Coco Gauff will compete in the Australian Open this weekend, aged just 19. Behind the scenes, she is supported by her parents Candi and Corey Gauff who have been there every step of the way as she embarks upon an incredible career that has already featured defeating Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon in 2019. The star has previously said that the belief in her own sporting abilities stems from the unwavering support of her family. "My dad told me I could do this when I was eight, and obviously, you never believe it," the tennis player said following her 2019 victory. "I'm still not 100 percent confident, but you have to say things and believe in them and see what happens."

Last summer Coco also took the opportunity to honour her parents in her winning speech at the Cincinnati Open saying, "The biggest thank you to my parents. My mom, I love you so much for being my emotional support. My dad... he's the reason I’m here. The reason I play tennis. He's the reason I believe I can do this." She also mentioned her loving parents after her quarterfinal victory at the U.S. Open. "My parents, they’re really my support system, helping me remember my clothes and everything," she said. "My dad is still sending me scouting reports every match. My mom is more than just being mom. My dad just being dad."

You could say Coco's incredible sporting genes come from her dad Corey. The doting dad grew up playing college basketball at Georgia State University and encouraged Coco into tennis from a young age, starting as her coach, and has said that he believes it is important as a parent to be as invested in sport as their aspiring child. He told the : "I think it helps parents when they have played as high as college or even pro. You better understand the process, and so you don’t get too jittery about it. You don’t feel like you’re running out of time, so you are not rushed. You kind of meet your kid where they are at."

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Even though Coco's dad is one of her biggest cheerleaders, she tries to zone out from the stands during a match to stay focused, making the exception only for her loving parents. She told CBS: "In the match, I try not to look at my parents too much, but definitely when I have a big 'Come on!' or I scream, I look at them because they kind of hype me up." She has also revealed that a glimpse of her parents in the crowd can give her the boost she needs mid-match. "And then sometimes when I feel a little bit tight during a match, I look at them because they just give me fist pumps, so that just shows me that everything’s gonna be okay. They’re definitely my biggest supporters."

Coco's mum Candi also comes from a sporting background. Coco's grandfather Eddie played minor league baseball and launched the Delray Beach American Little League that provided an opportunity for Black children to play. Candi has said that gymnastics was her first love, followed by track and field, a passion she pursued at Florida State University. The supportive mother has been married to Coco's father since January 2001. She took to Instagram in 2020 to celebrate her 19-year anniversary. "19 years and counting. Happy Anniversary to us," she said. "You and I already know the value we bring to each other and to our family. I love you, I love us, I love our life together."

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Not only have Candi and Corey passed on their sporting genes, but they have also facilitated Coco's tennis career by selflessly giving up their own jobs to support her. Once Coco reached second grade and her parents realised she had a significant amount of potential, they left their home in Atlanta and moved back to their hometown Delray Beach, Florida to lean on their family for support. Candi gave up her position as a teacher to homeschool Coco and the family moved in with Candi's parents to save money. As Coco's star quality developed, her father decided it was time to leave his role as a healthcare executive to become Coco’s head coach. It is clear the risks her parents took paid off. 

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