Coco Gauff: 20 Things To Know About The Tennis Superstar

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As the reigning U.S. Open champ, Coco Gauff is off to a strong start as she aims to keep her title intact during this year’s competition. 

Not only did the young tennis sensation score her first grand slam, but she also became the youngest woman to win the title since Serena Williams in 1999, at age 19. Now, at age 20, her sights are set on a repeat, and all eyes are on Gauff as she continues to make HERstory.

Gauff has made quite the name for herself as a young tennis phenom over the last few years, first going pro in 2018 at the tender age of 14, which is relatively early in tennis. She displays no signs of letting up anytime soon, especially with a strong start in defending her title during the 2024 US Open. On Monday (Aug. 26), Gauff opened play with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over France’s Varvara Gracheva during the first round at Flushing Meadows. 

“If you defend something, that means you won something,” said Gauff in an interview after her match. “If you did it, that means you can do it again. Whether I do it again this year or not, I will do it again. Whether it’s 2024 or not, I will do it again.”

As the world prepares to watch Gauff attempt to maintain her title during this year’s competition, here are 20 facts about the 20-year-old tennis sensation.

1. She is a product of two athletes. 

Gauff’s father, Corey Gauff, played college basketball at Georgia State University, while her mother, Candi Gauff, was a track and field athlete at Flordia State University. Thus, the love of the game is not on her but rather on her, as she comes from a sports-oriented family.

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2. She’s A Georgia Peach

Born on March 13, 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia, Gauff is a proud Georgia peach and was born under the Pisces zodiac sign.

3. Her real name is Cori. 

Although the world knows her as Coco, the tennis superstar was born Cori Gauff

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4. Gauff first began playing tennis at the age of six.

Inspired by tennis royalty Serena Williams, who began playing tennis at the age of 3, Gauff picked up her first racket at the age of 6, and it’s been one of her first true loves ever since.

5. Her parents quit their jobs to support her tennis dreams.

When they realized their daughter’s love for the sport, Gauff’s parents left their careers behind to support her full-time tennis endeavors. As a homeschooled student, her mother was her teacher, and her father was one of her first coaches.

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6. She trained at the New Generation Tennis Academy. 

At the age of 8, the Gauff family moved to Delray Beach, Florida, to allow Coco to train with the New Generation Tennis Academy, setting the tone for her to pursue a career in Tennis full-time.

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7. She also trained in France at an academy Serena Williams’ former coach ran.

In addition to training in Florida, Gauff also trained at the Mouratoglou Academy, which is located in France and is run by Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.

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8. At age 13, she became the youngest player to reach the US Open girls’ final

In 2017 Gauff achieved this feat and made noticeable strides in the sport, forcing people to pay attention.

9. Gauff won the French Open junior title in 2018

This moment solidified Gauff’s status as a top junior player before she was ranked the No. 1 junior player in the world in the same year.

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10. She won the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championship in 2018

2018 was a standout year for Gauff, with two titles under her belt, and she quickly became a household name.

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11. Gauff made history again in 2019

At 15 years old, she became the youngest player to qualify for the Wimbledon main draw, and she also defeated another one of her idols, Venus Williams, during the first round of Wimbledon 2019

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12. Wimbledon 2019 earned her a nickname and global attention.

Gauff’s nickname, Coco-mania, was born during her run at the 2019 Wimbledon. She arrived on the scene hungry and eager to solidify her spot as one of the sport’s greats.

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13. Gauff achieved tennis history with her first WTA singles title.

After clinching the WTA singles title during the Linz Open in Austria, Gauff became the youngest WTA singles titleholder since 2024. During that same year, 2019, she won her first WTA doubles title alongside partner Caty McNally

14. She Has Defeated Several Top-Ranked Players

While she may be a young, fresh face within the sport, this hasn’t stopped Gauff from knocking top players out of the rankings. In addition to defeating one of her heroes, Venus Williams, Gauff has also won matches against Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka.

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15. Gauff is an advocate for social justice.

 Not only did she participate in Black Lives Matter protests during the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Gauff has also used her platform to speak out against racial inequality.

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16. She is the eldest daughter.

Gauff is the eldest of three children. She has two younger brothers, Codey and Cameron. 

17. Gauff has dreams of owning her clothing line.

In addition to her love for the sport of tennis, the 20-year-old is also into fashion and wants to fulfill a dream of launching her clothing line in the future.

18. She’s a gamer

When she isn’t playing tennis, Gauff is an avid gamer. She revealed that Fortnite is one of her favorite games.

19. Gauff’s social media presence is ushering in a new wave for her generation.

Just moments after she clinched the US Open title in 2023, Gauff took to TikTok to bask in the victory and has even gone viral with a clip of her as a kid cheering on Serena Williams well before becoming a tennis player.

20. She is the reigning U.S. Open champ.

As mentioned, Gauff made history when she scored her first US Open title in 2023. At age 19, she became the youngest woman to win the title since Serena Williams in 1999

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