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 climbed to a career-high singles ranking of world No. 2 and a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 1. Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, lifting the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open, and she also won the 2024 WTA Finals. She turned professional in 2018 and has since become one of the most prominent figures in the women’s game.
Right-handed with a two-handed backhand, Gauff plays an aggressive baseline game supported by a powerful serve and elite defensive speed. She is coached by Jean-Christophe Faurel and represents the United States on the global stage, with major endorsement deals alongside New Balance and Barilla.
Early Life and Background
Coco Gauff was born at West Boca Medical Center in Boca Raton, Florida, to Candi (née Odom) and Corey Gauff, both originally from Delray Beach. She has two younger brothers. Her father played college basketball at Georgia State University and later worked in health care, while her mother was a track-and-field athlete at Florida State University and worked as an educator. Gauff lived her earliest years in Atlanta before the family returned to Delray Beach when she was seven, in search of stronger training opportunities.
She first picked up a tennis racket at age six and began working with coach Gerard Loglo at the New Generation Tennis Academy at age eight. By age 10, Gauff had won the USTA Clay Court National 12-and-under title, becoming the youngest champion in the history of that tournament. Both parents gave up their careers to support her development, with her father serving as her primary coach and her mother overseeing her homeschooling.
At age 10, Gauff began training at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France, run by Patrick Mouratoglou. Mouratoglou helped fund her training through his Champ’Seed foundation, designed to support talented juniors who lack the financial resources for high-level coaching. By her early teens, Gauff had committed fully to pursuing a professional tennis career.
Path to Tennis
Gauff rose rapidly through the junior ranks, finishing as runner-up at the 2017 US Open girls’ singles at 13 years old and becoming a former world No. 1 junior. In 2018, she won her first junior Grand Slam title at the French Open, becoming the fifth youngest girls’ singles champion in tournament history. She closed 2018 with a Grade A title at the Orange Bowl and a Junior Fed Cup title representing the United States.
She made her WTA Tour debut in 2019 at age 15, immediately announcing herself as a future star. At Wimbledon that year, she became the youngest qualifier in the Open Era to reach the main draw, upset five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round, and advanced to the fourth round before falling to eventual champion Simona Halep. Later in 2019, she won her first WTA singles title at the Linz Open, becoming the youngest WTA singles champion since 2004 and breaking into the top 100 in both singles and doubles.
Coco Gauff Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Gauff’s first professional match came in May 2018 at an ITF Women’s Circuit event in Osprey, where she won her opening contest as a 14-year-old qualifier. She received a wildcard into US Open qualifying later that year, signaling the early attention she drew from American tennis officials. In doubles, she paired with Paige Hourigan to win her first WTA Tour title at the $25k event in Surprise, Arizona, in early 2019.
Her singles breakthrough arrived in 2019. After reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon as a qualifier and defeating Venus Williams, she climbed into the top 150. She capped the year by winning the Linz Open as a lucky loser, defeating top seed Kiki Bertens and Jelena Ostapenko, which pushed her inside the WTA top 100 for the first time.
WTA Tour Breakthrough (2019–2021)
At the 2020 Australian Open, Gauff defeated defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round, becoming the youngest player to beat a top-five opponent since Jennifer Capriati in 1991. She reached the fourth round of a major for the first time before falling to eventual champion Sofia Kenin. The remainder of 2020 brought steady ranking progress and a deep run at the 2021 Italian Open, where she reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal.
At the 2021 French Open, Gauff reached her first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal at age 17, the youngest American woman to reach a major quarterfinal since Venus Williams in 1997. She also won her second singles title at the Emilia-Romagna Open in Parma, becoming the youngest player to win both the singles and doubles at a single WTA event since Maria Sharapova in 2004. By the end of 2021, she had reached a career-high ranking of No. 23 in singles.
Grand Slam Contender (2022–2023)
In 2022, Gauff reached her first major singles final at the French Open, falling to Iga Świątek in straight sets, while also reaching the doubles final with Jessica Pegula. Later that year, she and Pegula captured the Canadian Open doubles title, lifting Gauff to the world No. 1 doubles ranking. She qualified for both the singles and doubles WTA Finals, the first American to do so in both disciplines since Serena and Venus Williams in 2009.
The 2023 season delivered her first major singles title. After winning the Washington Open for her first WTA 500 title, she captured the Cincinnati Open for her first WTA 1000 singles title by defeating world No. 1 Iga Świątek in the semifinals. At the US Open, she beat Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to become the first American teenager to win the title since Serena Williams in 1999, climbing to world No. 3.
Major Champion Era (2024–2025)
Gauff opened 2024 by reaching a new career-high of world No. 2 in singles after the French Open. She partnered with Kateřina Siniaková to win her first major doubles title at the 2024 French Open, and was chosen by her Olympic teammates to serve as the female flag-bearer for the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She closed the year by winning the China Open and the 2024 WTA Finals, defeating Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Zheng Qinwen to become the youngest year-end champion since Maria Sharapova in 2004.
The 2025 season brought her second major singles title. After reaching the Madrid Open and Italian Open finals on clay, Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final to become the first American to win the title since Serena Williams in 2015. She later captured the 2025 Wuhan Open, becoming the first American to win that event since Venus Williams in 2015.
Driving Style and Strengths
Coco Gauff plays an aggressive baseline game built around a powerful serve, heavy topspin, and outstanding defensive speed. She is most comfortable on hard courts, though she has produced her deepest results on clay, where her movement and counterpunching instincts shine. Over her career, she has worked with coaches including her father Corey Gauff, Brad Gilbert, Matt Daly, and Jean-Christophe Faurel, each contributing to refinements in her serve mechanics and forehand production.
Notable Events and Milestones
Gauff’s signature moments include her 2019 Wimbledon upset of Venus Williams, her 2023 US Open victory that ended a long American major title drought, and her 2025 French Open triumph. She also became the youngest US flag-bearer at an Olympic opening ceremony when she carried the flag at the 2024 Paris Games alongside LeBron James.
Coco Gauff Career Wins
Coco Gauff has compiled 11 WTA singles titles and 10 WTA doubles titles across her career, with two Grand Slam singles titles and one Grand Slam doubles title. She has won the 2023 US Open, the 2025 French Open, the 2024 WTA Finals, the 2024 French Open doubles, and multiple WTA 1000 crowns in both disciplines.
Grand Slam Highlights
Gauff is a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, winning the 2023 US Open by defeating Aryna Sabalenka in three sets and the 2025 French Open by defeating Sabalenka in three sets. She reached her first major final at the 2022 French Open and has now reached at least the quarterfinals of every Grand Slam event. She also won the 2024 French Open doubles title with Kateřina Siniaková and was a finalist at the 2021 US Open doubles with Caty McNally.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the majors, Gauff has won the 2019 Linz Open, 2021 Emilia-Romagna Open, 2023 Washington Open, 2023 Cincinnati Open, 2024 China Open, 2024 WTA Finals, 2025 Wuhan Open, and additional WTA events in both singles and doubles. She also helped the United States win the 2025 United Cup and has reached multiple WTA 1000 finals, including the 2025 Madrid Open, 2025 Italian Open, and 2026 Miami Open.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam Singles | 2 | 10+ | 0 |
| WTA 1000 Singles | 3 | 10+ | 0 |
| WTA Finals | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Grand Slam Doubles | 1 | 5+ | 0 |
| WTA 1000 Doubles | 3+ | 10+ | 0 |
Coco Gauff Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Coco Gauff comes from an athletic family, with both parents having competed in college sports. Her father, Corey Gauff, played college basketball at Georgia State University and later worked in health care, while her mother, Candi Odom, was a track-and-field athlete at Florida State University and worked as an educator. Both parents paused 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 overseeing her homeschooling.
Personal Life
Coco Gauff is a Christian and has spoken openly about her faith, including praying with her father before every match that both she and her opponent remain safe. She has cited Serena and Venus Williams as her tennis idols, noting that they inspired her to pick up the sport. Outside of tennis, Gauff enjoys anime such as My Hero Academia and follows popular YouTubers Ludwig Ahgren, Valkyrae, and Kai Cenat. She is not married and has no publicly known spouse or children.
2025 Season Performance
Coco Gauff’s 2025 season opened with the United Cup, where she went undefeated to help the United States defeat Poland in the final, including a straight-sets win over Iga Świątek. She reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before a first-round exit at Wimbledon. During the clay swing, Gauff rediscovered her form by reaching the finals of the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, both on clay.
Her season peaked at Roland Garros, where Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to win her second major title and the first French Open singles title for an American woman since Serena Williams in 2015. The victory confirmed her status as one of the leading players on clay and added to her growing major collection. In October, she captured the Wuhan Open, her third WTA 1000 singles title, cementing a strong late-season push.
Heading into 2026, Gauff reached the Miami Open final in March, her first final at her home WTA 1000 event, before falling to Sabalenka in three sets. She will look to defend her French Open title and chase another year-end championship finish under coach Jean-Christophe Faurel.
