They’re her biggest cheerleaders
Coco Gauff‘s parents support their daughter on and off the court—and recently, the 19-year-old tennis star’s father proved this when he leapt to her defense after she got into a disagreement with an umpire during the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships.
After the dispute, which occurred during a Feb. 21 match against Karolína Plíšková, went viral on social media, Coco’s dad Corey shared his support for his daughter online.
“So proud of my daughter,” he wrote on Instagram, alongside a screen-recorded video of the discussion between Coco and the umpire. “Standing up for yourself and fighting for fairness. You have the strength of your grandmothers, who are 2 of the strongest women we know.”
This isn’t the first time Coco’s been in the spotlight—she’s been a big name ever since the athlete, who was just 15 at the time, defeated Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon in 2019. Since then, her star has continued to rise, with Coco ultimately becoming a Grand Slam champion thanks to her win at the 2023 U.S. Open. She’s also currently one of the professional tennis players featured in season two of Netflix’s Break Point, a docuseries about the world’s top tennis pros.
Naturally, this extra attention on the 19-year-old is making fans curious about Coco’s family. Here’s what you need to know about Coco Gauff’s parents, Candi and Corey Gauff.
The Gauffs passed down their athletic genes to Coco.
Candi and Corey were impressive athletes in their own right. Candi was on the track and field team at Florida State University (her 1991 heptathlon performance is legendary at the school), and Corey played basketball at Georgia State University.
Corey has shared how he and Candi’s athletic experiences may have helped their daughter. “I think it helps parents when they have played as high as college or even pro,” he previously told The New York Times. “You better understand the process, and so you don’t get too jittery about it. You don’t feel like you’re running out of time, so you are not rushed. You kind of meet your kid where they are at.”
Candi and Cori Gauff been married for over 20 years.
The couple got hitched in 2001. Cori shared a sweet anniversary post on Instagram in 2020 that shows the couple looking super cozy. “You and I already know the value we bring to each other and to our family. I love you, I love us, I love our life together. Happy Anniversary!” she wrote in the caption.
What do Coco Gauff’s parents do for a living?
Candi has a background in teaching, and Corey was once a healthcare executive, according to the Sun Sentinel. Candi ended up leaving her job to homeschool Coco, and Corey served as her head coach. (She now has a different coaching team, according to USA Today.)
“They’re just really my support system,” Coco told USA Today last year. “They’re helping me remember, you know, my clothes and everything, and my dad is still sending me scouting reports for every match. But my mom is more so, you know, just being mom. My dad just being dad other than the scouting report part.”
Candi and Corey have three children total.
Coco isn’t the only Gauff child. She has two younger brothers—Cody and Cameron.