Coco Gauff Bio
Cori Dionne “Coco” Gauff is an American professional tennis player born on March 13, 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently based in Delray Beach, Florida, she has made a significant impact on the tennis world with a career-high singles ranking of No. 2 and has achieved notable success, including winning the US Open in 2023 and the French Open in 2025. Gauff turned professional in 2018 and has quickly risen through the ranks, becoming a formidable presence in both singles and doubles competitions.
Known for her powerful playing style, Gauff has also reached world No. 1 in doubles and captured the 2024 WTA Finals title. She has won eleven singles titles and ten doubles titles on the WTA Tour, and she continues to be one of the most influential figures in modern tennis.
Early Life and Background
Cori Dionne Gauff was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 13, 2004, to Candi (née Odom) and Corey Gauff, both originally from Delray Beach, Florida. She has two younger brothers. Her father played college basketball at Georgia State University and later worked as a health care executive, while her mother was a track-and-field athlete at Florida State University and worked as an educator. Gauff spent her earliest years in Atlanta before the family relocated to Delray Beach when she was seven, seeking stronger tennis training opportunities.
Gauff began playing tennis at the age of six and started working with coach Gerard Loglo at the New Generation Tennis Academy when she was eight. She has often spoken about her early mixed feelings toward the sport, explaining that her love for the game grew after competing in the “Little Mo” tournament at age eight. Her parents made the decision to give up their own careers to support her development, with her father becoming her primary coach and her mother overseeing her homeschooling. At ten, Gauff entered the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France, where coach Patrick Mouratoglou helped sponsor her training through his Champ’Seed foundation.
Path to Tennis
Gauff’s competitive climb began with the USTA Clay Court National 12-and-under title, which she won at ten years and three months old, becoming the youngest champion in the tournament’s history. She soon transitioned to the ITF Junior Circuit, skipping directly to the highest-level Grade A and Grade 1 tournaments. In 2017, she reached the girls’ singles final at the US Open at just 13 years old, becoming the youngest finalist in the tournament’s history.
The following year, Gauff captured her first junior Grand Slam singles title at the 2018 French Open at 14 years old and later became the world No. 1 junior after winning the Orange Bowl. In May 2018, she made her professional debut on the ITF Women’s Circuit at age 14, and in October 2018, she signed her first multi-year sponsorship contract with New Balance. These milestones set the stage for her move to the WTA Tour in 2019.
Coco Gauff Career
Early Career (2018–19)
Gauff made her WTA Tour debut in March 2019 at the Miami Open at 15 years old, recording her first main-draw win over Caty McNally. Shortly after, she received a wildcard into qualifying at Wimbledon, where she became the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the main draw through qualifying. There, she produced one of the breakthrough moments of the year, defeating five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round and advancing to the fourth round, where she fell to eventual champion Simona Halep.
Later in 2019, Gauff won her first WTA singles title at the Linz Open, becoming the youngest WTA title winner in 15 years. She also claimed two WTA doubles titles with Caty McNally, finishing the year inside the top 100 in both singles and doubles. Her rapid rise earned her the WTA Newcomer of the Year award.
WTA Tour Breakthrough (2020–22)
In 2020, Gauff advanced to the fourth round of the Australian Open, defeating defending champion Naomi Osaka along the way and becoming the youngest player to beat a top-5 opponent since 1991. She continued to climb the rankings in 2021, reaching her first major quarterfinal at the French Open and rising into the top 25. She also made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games before a positive COVID-19 test forced her to withdraw.
The 2022 season marked her arrival as a top-tier player. She reached her first major singles final at the French Open, finished the year ranked inside the top 10 in singles, and became the world No. 1 in doubles alongside Jessica Pegula after winning the Canadian Open doubles title. She also qualified for the WTA Finals in both singles and doubles, the youngest American to do so since Serena and Venus Williams in 2009.
Major Titles Era (2023–25)
Gauff captured her first major singles title at the 2023 US Open, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final to become the first American teenager to win the event since Serena Williams in 1999. She also won her first WTA 1000 singles title at the Cincinnati Open, reached world No. 3, and was nominated for the Laureus World Sports Awards Breakthrough of the Year.
In 2024, Gauff lifted her first major doubles trophy at the French Open with Kateřina Siniaková, reached a career-high No. 2 in singles, and won the 2024 WTA Finals to become the youngest champion at the year-end event since Maria Sharapova in 2004. She was also chosen as the female flag-bearer for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In 2025, she won the French Open singles title, defeating Sabalenka in the final, and added the Wuhan Open to her list of WTA 1000 titles.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gauff has described herself as an aggressive baseline player with a powerful serve, though many analysts view her as an opportunistic counterpuncher. Hard courts and clay are her preferred surfaces, and she relies on her speed and athleticism to extend rallies. Since 2024, she has worked with coaches focused on improving her serve and forehand, and in August 2025 she added biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan to her team.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond her major titles, Gauff became the youngest American to reach the French Open quarterfinals in nearly three decades in 2021, the youngest WTA Finals singles champion since 2004 in 2024, and the first American woman to win the French Open singles title since Serena Williams in 2015. She has also helped fund community projects in Atlanta, including a new playground and tennis courts in Brownwood Park.
Coco Gauff Career Wins
Coco Gauff has accumulated eleven WTA singles titles and ten WTA doubles titles across her career. Her major victories include the 2023 US Open, the 2024 French Open doubles, and the 2025 French Open in singles, along with three WTA 1000 singles titles at Cincinnati (2023), Beijing (2024), and Wuhan (2025).
Major Highlights
Gauff’s first major singles title came at the 2023 US Open, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. She added a second major singles title at the 2025 French Open, again beating Sabalenka in the final, and won the 2024 WTA Finals to cement her status as one of the game’s leading players. In doubles, she claimed the 2024 French Open title with Kateřina Siniaková and has held the world No. 1 ranking in doubles.
Other Wins and Performances
Gauff won her first WTA singles title at the 2019 Linz Open, added titles at Parma (2021), Auckland (2023), Washington (2023), and Beijing (2024), and won the United Cup with Team USA in 2025. She has also won multiple WTA 1000 doubles titles with Jessica Pegula, including the 2022 Canadian Open, which elevated her to the No. 1 doubles ranking.
Coco Gauff Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Coco Gauff comes from an athletic family. Her father, Corey Gauff, played college basketball at Georgia State University, while her mother, Candi Odom, was a track-and-field athlete at Florida State University. Both parents gave up their professional careers to focus on Coco’s tennis development, with her father serving as her primary coach in her early years and her mother managing her homeschooling. She has two younger brothers.
Personal Life
Gauff is a Christian and has spoken openly about her faith, often praying with her father before matches. She is a longtime fan of Serena and Venus Williams, the players who inspired her to pick up a tennis racquet. Outside of tennis, she enjoys anime, including My Hero Academia, and follows several popular YouTubers and streamers. Gauff currently resides in Delray Beach, Florida.
2025 Season Performance
Coco Gauff’s 2025 season began with a United Cup title, where she defeated world No. 2 Iga Świątek in the final and finished the tournament undefeated. After a quarterfinal exit at the Australian Open and early losses in the Middle East swing, she rebounded during the clay season, reaching finals at the Madrid Open and Italian Open and the French Open, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka to claim her second major singles title.
Following a first-round exit at Wimbledon, Gauff added the Wuhan Open to her resume in October, beating compatriot Jessica Pegula in the final for her third WTA 1000 singles title. In August 2025, she brought in Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics specialist who previously worked with Sabalenka, to help refine her serve. With another major title and a strong late-season push, Gauff remains firmly in contention for the year-end No. 1 ranking.