Coco Gauff Biography: Tennis Star’s Career

Cori “Coco” Gauff is an American professional tennis player. She is known for her athletic abilities, which come from a family of collegiate athletes; her father, Corey Gauff, played basketball for Georgia State University, and her mother, Candi Gauff, was a track athlete for Florida State University.

Gauff began playing tennis at the age of six. When she was seven, her family relocated to Delray Beach, Florida, for better training opportunities. At the age of 10, she trained at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France. She turned professional in 2018 at the age of 14, making her debut on the ITF Women’s Circuit where she won her first professional match.

Some of Gauff’s career highlights include:

• 2019: At 15 years old, she gained international recognition by defeating Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon. She also won her first WTA singles title at the Linz Open.

• 2022: She reached her first Grand Slam singles final at the French Open.

• 2023: She won her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open. She also won her first WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati.

• 2024: She won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open with partner Kateřina Siniaková. She also made her Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 games and was the youngest American flag-bearer in history. Additionally, she won the WTA Finals singles title, becoming the youngest champion since 2004.

• 2025: She won the French Open singles title.

Gauff has held career-high rankings of world No. 2 in singles and world No. 1 in doubles. She has won 10 singles titles and 10 doubles titles on the WTA Tour.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of her life and career, exploring the key influences, pivotal moments, and tactical evolutions that have defined her path from junior phenom to elite champion. 

Personal and Family Foundation: Upbringing and Profile

Cori Dionne “Coco” Gauff was born on March 13, 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia, to Candi and Corey Gauff. She is a Pisces, a detail she has acknowledged herself, and as of 2025, she is 21 years old.

Physical Profile and Playing Style

Gauff stands at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) and plays right-handed, showcasing a distinctive two-handed backhand that has become one of her signature weapons on the court.

Family’s Strategic Move to Support Her Career

The foundation of Gauff’s career is deeply tied to her family’s strategic decisions. At the age of seven, the Gauff family relocated from Atlanta back to their hometown of Delray Beach, Florida, specifically to provide Coco with superior tennis training opportunities.

This decision marked the beginning of a full-time family enterprise dedicated to shaping her into a professional athlete.

Parents’ Background and Sacrifices

Cori “Coco” Gauff’s rise to tennis stardom is deeply rooted in the unwavering support and sacrifices of her parents, Corey and Candi Gauff. Their story is one of athletic legacy, bold decisions, and total commitment to Coco’s dream.

Who Are Corey and Candi Gauff?

Philosophy and Parenting Style

• Corey emphasized that tennis was Coco’s dream—not his. He always asked, “How can I help her accomplish her dreams?”
• Candi and Corey never pushed Coco into tennis; they nurtured her interests and supported her choices, even if they had been outside of sports.
• Their parenting style is often praised for balancing ambition with emotional intelligence.

They made significant professional sacrifices to support Coco’s tennis career. Corey, despite limited tennis background, became her primary coach, while Candi, an educator, homeschooled Coco to create a structured, controlled environment for both academics and athletics.

Coaching Philosophy and Inspiration

Corey Gauff modeled much of his approach on Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams. This strategy emphasized discipline, independence, and long-term vision, reflecting a theme of multi-generational dedication to raising a champion.

Family and Siblings

Coco Gauff also has two younger brothers, Codey and Cameron. Her parents remain together and continue to play an active role in her personal life and professional tennis career.

Coco Gauff is not married and does not have children. Since 2023, she has been in a committed relationship with Jalen Sera, a student, aspiring actor, musician, and guitarist from Atlanta. The relationship was publicly confirmed in June 2025.

A Partner Outside Tennis

Gauff has shared that one of the most valuable aspects of her relationship is that Sera is not involved in tennis. His outside perspective provides her with a sense of balance and a “fresh perspective” that helps her maintain her mental equilibrium. This deliberate choice allows her to separate her personal life from the pressures of professional competition.

Emotional Support in Key Moments

An anecdote from her 2023 US Open victory illustrates this dynamic: Gauff spoke with Sera until 1:00 AM the night before the final as a way to distract herself from mounting pressure. She credits this conversation with helping her avoid the mental block that had troubled her during the tournament the previous year. This reflects her emotional intelligence and maturity, recognizing the importance of a support system beyond tennis.

Financial Success and Net Worth

Beyond her personal life, Gauff has established herself as a financial powerhouse in modern tennis. Her estimated net worth in 2025 is around $35 million.

• Prize money (2025): Approximately $12.2 million, including the $2.9 million earned for winning the French Open.

• Endorsements: Roughly $25 million, demonstrating how her brand value outweighs prize earnings.

Endorsements and Marketability

Gauff’s endorsement portfolio includes global brands such as New Balance, Head, Rolex, UPS, Bose, Baker Tilly, and Fanatics. This diversified income model provides her with long-term financial security, independent of match results.

• She launched her own signature performance shoe, the New Balance CG2.

• She also introduced a lifestyle sneaker named Coco Delray, highlighting her marketability beyond tennis.

Lifestyle and Residence

Coco Gauff currently resides in Delray Beach, Florida, where her family relocated to support her career when she was a child.

Career Trajectory: A Decade of Dominance and Development

Gauff’s career trajectory is a case study in consistent, year-over-year development, marked by a gradual maturation from a phenom with raw talent to a strategically astute, two-surface Grand Slam champion. She officially turned professional in 2018 at the age of 14, winning her first professional match on the ITF Women’s Circuit. Her pre-professional years were also highly successful; she was a former World No. 1 junior, having won the 2018 French Open junior title.

Her breakout moment arrived at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. As the youngest player in the Open Era to qualify for the main draw, she famously upset her idol, five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, in the first round. She went on to reach the fourth round, a performance that propelled her into the top 100 for the first time. This breakthrough was followed by her maiden WTA tour-level title in Linz later that year.

The progression of her game at the sport’s highest level is visually represented in her Grand Slam singles performance, which demonstrates a pattern of incremental improvement.

Table data compiled – NH = Not held. 

Her win at the 2023 US Open marked her first major singles title, where she came from a set down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka. She continued her upward trajectory by winning her second major title, the 2025 French Open, a victory that was particularly meaningful as it came on clay, demonstrating her versatility across surfaces. She also secured her first Grand Slam doubles title at the 2024 French Open, partnering with Kateřina Siniaková.

Her consistent presence in the later rounds of majors, from the quarter-finals to the finals and now championships, demonstrates that her game is not static and has evolved to meet the demands of elite competition. The fact that she has won majors on both a hard court and a clay court is a characteristic of a truly all-time great player. 

Major Wins and Career Milestones

• 2025 French Open (Roland Garros): Gauff won her second Grand Slam singles title by defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4. This victory made her the first American woman to win the French Open since Serena Williams in 2015. 

• 2023 US Open: She captured her first Grand Slam singles crown by rallying from a set down to defeat Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. This made her the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999. 

• 2024 WTA Finals: Gauff clinched the prestigious year-end title, winning a record-breaking $4.8 million in prize money and defeating both the World No. 1 and No. 2 players in the same event.

• WTA 1000 Titles: Gauff won her first WTA 1000 title at the 2023 Cincinnati Open. She has also reached the finals of WTA 1000 events in Rome and Madrid in 2025.

• Other Notable Wins: In 2019, she won her first WTA title as a lucky loser at the Linz Open, becoming the youngest player to do so since 2004. 

Coaching and Tactical Evolution: The Mechanics of a Champion

Coco Gauff’s rise in tennis has been shaped by both her natural talent and the expert guidance she has received throughout her career. Her father, Corey Gauff, served as her primary coach during her formative years.

At the age of 10, she began training at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France, run by Patrick Mouratoglou, longtime coach of Serena Williams. Mouratoglou’s Champ’Seed Foundation provided financial support, ensuring Gauff could train at an elite level.

Today, her primary coach is Jean-Christophe Faurel, who continues to guide her development on tour.

Technical Challenges – The Serve Struggles

Despite her success, Gauff’s journey has not been without setbacks. A central storyline of her 2025 season has been her struggles with the serve.

• By mid-2025, she had accumulated a tour-leading 320 double-faults.

• This included a match with 23 double-faults and another with 14.

• Her serving issues were widely cited as the primary reason behind her first-round exit at Wimbledon in July 2025.

This vulnerability became a focal point for her critics and a challenge she needed to overcome.

Strategic Adjustment – Hiring a Biomechanics Expert

In a bold move, just before the 2025 US Open, Gauff hired Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics expert, to overhaul her service motion.

• MacMillan is notable for having previously helped Aryna Sabalenka overcome similar serve struggles.

• The decision to make such a drastic change on the eve of a major tournament highlighted Gauff’s relentless pursuit of improvement, even at the risk of short-term disruption.

First Test – US Open 2025

Her new service motion was put to the test immediately at the US Open 2025. In her opening-round match against Ajla Tomljanovic, Gauff fought through a nearly three-hour battle.

• She still hit 10 double-faults, but crucially, she displayed the mental resolve to close out the match.

• This performance demonstrated her ability to win under pressure, even while adjusting to technical changes.

Professional Mindset and Growth

Gauff’s willingness to expose her vulnerabilities publicly and retool her game reflects a professional mindset rare for her age. Rather than being content with her current success, she has chosen the harder path—embracing change, enduring struggles, and focusing on her long-term potential.

Statistical Deep Dive: Metrics of a World-Class Athlete

Gauff’s career statistics paint a clear picture of her consistent excellence across both singles and doubles. As of the most recent data, she holds 10 career singles titles and 10 career doubles titles. Her singles win-loss record stands at 264–111, while her doubles record is 148–66. Gauff’s career prize money totals US $27,528,674. 

Her rise in the rankings has been one of the fastest in recent memory. She jumped from a year-end ranking of 686 in 2018 to World No. 68 the following year. By 2022, she was in the top 10, and in June 2024, she achieved her career-high ranking of World No. 2. She currently holds the World No. 3 ranking as of August 2025 and is the top-ranked American player.  

Head-to-Head Records Against Key Rivals

The analysis of her rivalries shows that Gauff’s biggest victories often come from her mental resilience and ability to turn a match around, while her losses can be traced to her technical vulnerabilities.

• Coco Gauff vs. Aryna Sabalenka: This rivalry is one of the most compelling in women’s tennis, with their head-to-head record tied at 5-5. Gauff’s two Grand Slam final victories over Sabalenka—at the 2023 US Open and 2025 French Open—both came in three-set comebacks, a testament to her mental fortitude. The contrast in their styles—Gauff’s defensive prowess and court coverage against Sabalenka’s aggressive power hitting—makes for captivating matches, with Gauff’s ability to force errors often proving to be the decisive factor. 

• Coco Gauff vs. Jasmine Paolini: This matchup has seen recent shifts, highlighting the impact of Gauff’s serve challenges. The most recent and reliable data indicates that while Paolini has won their recent matchups, Gauff won their 2023 Cincinnati match. Paolini’s victory over Gauff in the 2025 Cincinnati quarter-finals was particularly revealing, with observers noting that Gauff’s double-faults were a major factor in her loss.

• Coco Gauff vs. Naomi Osaka: Their rivalry is tied at 2-2. The most notable match occurred at the 2020 Australian Open, where a then-15-year-old Gauff defeated the defending champion for her first win over a Top-5 opponent, cementing her status as a player to watch.   

Current Standing and Future Outlook

Gauff’s 2025 season has been a study in contradictions. On one hand, she achieved the pinnacle of clay-court tennis with her French Open title. On the other, she faced a concerning technical crisis with her serve, which led to a shocking first-round loss at Wimbledon and a series of disappointing results in the lead-up to the US Open. Her public decision to hire a new coach, Gavin MacMillan, to retool her serve is a clear indicator of her long-term vision and her commitment to resolving this issue.  

As she navigates the 2025 US Open, Gauff is seeded No. 3 and holds the top ranking among American players. She won her first-round match against Ajla Tomljanovic in a difficult three-set encounter that served as an early test of her new service motion. This ongoing and public process of change, rather than being a sign of weakness, is a defining aspect of her journey.

It proves that she is not content with her current game and is willing to endure short-term struggles for long-term perfection. Her recent Olympic performance saw her exit in the third round of the singles competition. However, her ability to win major titles and maintain a top ranking while navigating this challenge underscores her immense potential and cements her status as a compelling figure in the world of tennis.

How Much Did Coco Gauff Win at the French Open?

Coco Gauff secured the 2025 French Open title, earning an impressive US $2.84 million in prize money. Had she finished as runner-up, the payout would have been $1.3 million—but she claimed the championship outright.

Are Coco Gauff’s Parents Still Together?

Yes. Coco’s parents, Corey and Candi Gauff, remain married after more than 20 years. Their enduring partnership has been a cornerstone of her personal and professional success.

Is Coco Gauff Married?

No, she is not married. Coco Gauff remains unmarried as of 2025, focusing on her career and personal growth.

How Old Is Coco Gauff?

Coco Gauff is 21 years old, born on March 13, 2004. Her maturity and poise continue to impress both on and off the court.

Does Coco Gauff Have a Boyfriend?

Yes. Since 2023, Coco has been in a private relationship, maintaining discretion while balancing her public life and personal happiness.

Does Coco Gauff Have Siblings?

Absolutely. She has two younger brothers:

• Codey Gauff – Known for his athletic talent, particularly in baseball.

• Cameron Gauff – The youngest, creative and energetic, often seen supporting Coco at major tournaments.

How Tall Is Coco Gauff?

Coco Gauff stands at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)—a height that complements her powerful serve and court coverage.

Is Coco Gauff Out of Wimbledon?

Yes. In Wimbledon 2025, Coco reached the 4th round but was eliminated. Despite the exit, her performance remained strong, especially following her French Open victory.

What Happened to Coco Gauff?

Nothing negative—on the contrary, Coco Gauff is thriving. She:

• Won the 2025 French Open

• Continues to rank among the top players globally

• Balances her career with a supportive family and a private relationship

• Embodies resilience, focus, and excellence in every aspect of her journey

Summary Table