In the modern WTA era, no American tennis player has carried the joint legacy of sporting excellence and post-Williams-sisters Black tennis-history as gracefully as Cori "Coco" Gauff. The Atlanta-born daughter of a former Georgia State University basketball player father and a former Florida State University track-and-field athlete mother, who at fifteen reached the 2019 Wimbledon fourth round (beating Venus Williams in her first-round match), and who at nineteen won the 2023 US Open and at twenty-one won the 2025 French Open, is one of the most-watched American tennis players of her generation. Behind every championship sat a deeply intentional African-American sporting family.

The Family's Roots: Atlanta to Delray Beach, Florida

The Gauff family is African-American. Coco was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on 13 March 2004. When she was around seven, the family moved from Atlanta to Delray Beach, Florida, specifically to give her access to better tennis facilities.

Her Father: Corey Gauff

Corey Gauff was a basketball player at Georgia State University in the 1990s and has worked in healthcare administration in Atlanta. He has been Coco's primary coach for most of her career, working alongside her formal academy coaches.

Her Mother: Candi Gauff

Candi Gauff was a track-and-field athlete at Florida State University, competing in high jump and heptathlon. She has been the family's organisational anchor and her grandfather, Eddie Odom, was a Florida State football player.

Her Brothers: Codey and Cameron

Coco has two younger brothers:

Codey Gauff is the younger brother, also athletically inclined.

Cameron Gauff is the youngest brother.

The Gauff Family Tree at a Glance

Family Origins

  • African-American
  • Born in Atlanta; family relocated to Delray Beach, Florida around 2011

Parents

  • Father: Corey Gauff — former Georgia State University basketball player; healthcare administrator; Coco's primary coach
  • Mother: Candi Gauff — former Florida State University track-and-field athlete

Siblings

  • Cori "Coco" Gauff (b. 13 March 2004)
  • Codey Gauff — younger brother
  • Cameron Gauff — youngest brother

Coco Gauff

  • Born Cori Dionne Gauff, 13 March 2004, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Patrick Mouratoglou Academy (Nice, France) from age 10
  • WTA debut, 2018
  • 2019 Wimbledon: defeated Venus Williams in first round at age 15
  • 2023 US Open champion (women's singles)
  • 2025 French Open champion (women's singles)
  • Multiple WTA singles titles; multiple WTA doubles titles
  • WTA World No. 2 (peak singles ranking, 2023)
  • 2025 Wimbledon semifinalist

Personal

  • Unmarried; no children

What the Gauff Family Story Teaches Us

A college-basketball father who became his daughter's primary coach. A college-track-and-field mother. Two younger brothers. A family relocation from Atlanta to Delray Beach when she was seven. An African-American family that built one of modern America's most-watched tennis careers in the lineage of the Williams sisters. From one Atlanta-then-Florida household came two Grand Slam titles by age 21.

For every family — large or small, famous or otherwise — the Gauff story carries the same lesson. The legacy of the families that came before you matters. Coco Gauff has spoken often about Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe, and the Williams sisters as predecessors whose legacies she carries. Write down the people who came before you in your field — biological family or chosen family. Their work is part of your tree.

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