With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approaching, Cori “Coco” Gauff is one of the heavy hitters that should be on everyone’s radar. The rising tennis star already has a high profile that’s climbing every day, but here are six facts about Gauff that you might not already know.
Early bird gets the grand slam
Gauff began playing tennis at the age of six and quickly elevated her skills. She made history as the youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon’s main draw in the Open Era at just 15 years old in 2019.
Coco Gauff is the youngest WTA Title Holder
In 2019, Gauff won her first WTA singles title at the age of 15, making her the youngest titleholder on the WTA tour since Maria Sharapova in 2004. She achieved this landmark accomplishment at the Linz Open in Austria.
She champions change beyond the court
Beyond her athletic abilities, Gauff is known for her activism, advocacy efforts and speaking up for herself when the odds are improperly stacked against her. Recently, she called out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis before she played at the French Open.
She won against THEE Venus Williams
One of Gauff’s greatest achievements came in 2019. In the first round of Wimbledon (which is a wild card by the way) defeated tennis legend Venus Williams. This was the moment that catapulted her talent to the world.
She’s from the Dirty South
After spending most of her early years in Atlanta, Gauff she moved to Delray Beach, Fla. where her tennis career took off. Since Gauff’s mother was a teacher, she homeschooled her daughter while her father, Corey, became her coach.
She had the same coach as Serena Williams
At the age of 10, Gauff traveled to France to work with Patrick Mouratoglou, who also coached Serena Williams. She continued to train with him, but her father was still her main coach.