‘I’m thankful for this moment. I don’t have any words,’ said Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff following her triumph at the US Open final at the weekend.
The tennis player claimed a 2-6 6-3 6-2 victory against Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday at New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium – her first-ever Grand Slam title.
Coco – who is now ranked world No.3 – began making a name for herself aged 15 when she became the youngest player in Wimbledon history to qualify for the main draw, going on to beat former world No.1 Venus Williams in the opening round.
Here is everything you need to know about the sportswoman as she continues to bask in her glory.
‘I’M THANKFUL FOR THIS MOMENT. I DON’T HAVE ANY WORDS,’ SAID CORI ‘COCO’ GAUFF FOLLOWING HER TRIUMPH AT THE US OPEN FINAL AT THE WEEKEND.  ©GETTY
How old is Coco Gauff?
Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff was born on 13 March 2004, making her 19 years old.
To celebrate her birthday this year, the tennis superstar shared a throwback video of her dancing in the stands, writing, ‘Dancing my way into 19 likeeee [sic] grateful for another year.’
‘Happy Birthday Coco, may year 19 be the year we slam that first Slam!’ a fan penned (and possibly helped manifest).
Where is Coco Gauff from?
Coco hails from Atlanta, where she spent the first six years of her life. When she was seven – a year into her tennis playing – her family relocated to Delray Beach, Florida, where her parents grew up, so she had better training opportunities.
Who are Coco Gauff’s mum and dad?
Candi Gauff, Coco’s mum, also has an athletic background as she reportedly competed as a hurdler and heptathlete at Florida State University.
She said in 2019, ‘I let my husband be the coach, and I’m the supportive mum, the one if she hurts or is crying that she can communicate with.’
She also oversaw Coco’s homeschooling, with Candi previously revealing that keeping her daughter’s education and tennis life separate was vital to her and her husband.
Coco’s father, Corey Gauff, also boasts a sporting background, having played basketball at Georgia State University.
He was also a healthcare executive at one point in his career, but later gave it up to coach his daughter after discovering her tennis talent.
‘Cheer yourself on and have good body language,’ Corey said her taught her in training. ‘When you’re frustrated with yourself, you can’t perform. Not just in sports, but in life. If you’re always frustrated, you can’t be at your best.’
Coco paid tribute to her parents after securing the US Open win at the weekend. She said, ‘Thank you guys. You believed in me from the beginning. My dad took me to this tournament, sitting right there, watching Venus and Serena compete, so it’s really incredible to win on this stage.’
The champ – who was the first American teen to win the tournament since Serena Williams in 1999 – added, ‘Today was the first time I’ve ever seen my dad cry. He doesn’t want me to tell y’all that, but he got caught in 4K. He thinks he’s so hard, but [he’s] not.’
COREY AND CANDI GAUFF BOTH COME FROM SPORTING BACKGROUNDS. ©GETTY
Who are Coco Gauff’s brothers?
Codey, 15, is one of his older sister’s biggest fans.
Coco took to Twitter the day after her win, sharing his reaction to her win. ‘No wonder my brother didn’t answer the phone,’ she captioned the elated video. ‘Legend says he’s still screaming to this day.’
Explaining how she did eventually get hold of her sibling, Coco told the press, ‘He did answer right before the ceremony started. I didn’t know we were supposed to go up together so I was just going to wait until they started talking. Then Stacey [Allaster] was, like, “You’ve got to go.” I told him I had to leave.’
Coco is also an elder sister to Cameron, 10, who influenced the colourway of her signature New Balance shoe, the Coco CG1, in March.
When asked about where her maturity derives from, Coco previously said, ‘I’m the oldest of three siblings. Maybe that has something to do with it. I don’t know. I feel like I have learned a lot quickly.’
no wonder my brother didn’t answer the phone. legend says he’s still screaming to this day😂 pic.twitter.com/1QZXgIpHPz
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) September 11, 2023
Who is Coco Gauff’s boyfriend?
As well as the support of her family, Coco also has a loyal boyfriend backing her corner.
She has not revealed any further details, but she did say how he helped calm her nerves before her big match.
‘I just called my boyfriend, and I told him let’s talk until it’s time to go to sleep so we spoke until 1:00 a.m. and then I went to sleep,’ she explained.
Is Coco Gauff on Instagram?
She sure is. You can keep track of her sporting achievements and day-to-day life here, where she regularly updates her 1.5 million followers.
Coco has been filling her grid with highlights from her history-making weekend, with a slew of famous faces rushing to congratulate her on her win.
‘Incredible hard work and determination!’ wrote Reese Witherspoon. ‘So happy for YOU.’
How much did Coco Gauff win at the US Open?
Coco has pocketed $3 million (£2.4 million) for her efforts. Her net worth is estimated to be around the $10 million mark – not too shabby!
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.