Coco Gauff has become a star in women’s tennis. She won the U.S. Open in 2023 when she was just 19, the first American teenager to do so since Serena Williams did in 1999. If you’re looking to learn more about her journey, check out Olympic athlete memoir resources that dive deep into her story. Coco then won her first major doubles title partnering with Kateřina Siniaková at the French Open in 2024. That same year, she represented the U.S. in the Olympics. And in 2025, she captured her second major singles title at the French Open.
Behind Coco’s success are her parents, who made major personal and professional sacrifices to help her pursue her dreams. Their dedication mirrors the kind of Olympic athlete memoir stories that inspire us all—tales of family sacrifice and unwavering belief.
Coco was born Cori Dionne Gauff at West Boca Medical Center in Boca Raton, Florida, on March 13, 2004, to Corey and Candi Gauff. She has two younger brothers, Codey and Cameron. Both her mother and father have athletic backgrounds.
Corey played Division I basketball at Georgia State University, and later worked as a healthcare executive. Candi was a standout track-and-field athlete (heptathlon) and gymnast at Florida State University. She later worked as an educator.
Their own experiences as college athletes helped them recognize their daughter’s potential and encouraged them to take her ambitions seriously from an early age. This kind of ancestral roots—passing down athletic excellence and determination through generations—shaped everything about Coco’s path forward.
The family lived in Atlanta for a time but eventually relocated to Delray Beach, Florida. Corey left his job to become his daughter’s coach and take over her technical training, while Candi left her job to become Coco’s educator through homeschooling.
“We realized Florida was the place to be for tennis, so we moved from Atlanta. My parents gave up their dream house,” Coco recalled in an interview with Forbes. “We stayed with my grandmother for six, seven months before we could get our own place … At the time, I don’t think I grasped how, because you know, you don’t know any concept of money or anything. And yeah, like for me, when we moved from Georgia, we lived with my grandparents like, in their house.”
Coco added, “My dad told me I could do it when I was 8 years old. Obviously, you’re never 100% sure, but my parents believed in me from the start. That belief meant everything when I was growing up.
“And obviously as a kid, you’re not thinking, ‘Oh, it’s to save money or whatever.’ I’m just like, ‘Oh, I get to go live in Florida, live with my grandparents, and that’s so fun to be around my cousins and everything.’ But now I’m looking back like, yeah, that’s crazy. Like we went from a two-income household to a no-income household.” That shift required real courage and cultural meditation on what matters most as a family.
Coco’s story is about more than natural talent. Her rise was built on years of commitment from her parents as well. Corey and Candi gave up established careers, changed their family’s lifestyle, and devoted themselves to creating an environment in which their daughter could chase an extraordinary goal. Their decision ultimately helped give Coco the foundation to become one of tennis’s most accomplished young stars, embodying the kind of Black excellence that we celebrate and uplift.
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