Coco Gauff has become one of the biggest names in tennis, but her rise to the top did not happen overnight. Behind the American tennis star is a family that made major sacrifices, changed its lifestyle and supported her long before the world knew her name.
Coco’s parents, Candi Gauff and Corey Gauff, have been closely involved in her journey from the beginning. Both were college athletes themselves, so they understood the demands of competitive sports and the patience needed to develop a young athlete.
When Coco showed serious promise in tennis, her parents made some huge changes. They moved the family from Atlanta to Delray Beach, Florida, left their careers behind and focused much of their time on helping their daughter develop her game.
Today, Coco is a household name, but her parents still remain an important part of her story.
Who are Coco Gauff’s parents?
Coco Gauff’s parents are Corey Gauff and Candi Gauff. The couple married on Jan. 13, 2001, and later welcomed three children.
Coco was born on March 13, 2004. She has two younger brothers, Codey, who was born on Sept. 21, 2007, and Cameron, who was born on June 5, 2013.
Corey and Candi have been together for more than two decades, and their family life has remained closely connected to sports.
Both parents were athletes before becoming parents. That experience eventually proved useful when Coco began pursuing tennis seriously. They already understood that developing an athlete takes time and that young players need room to grow instead of being rushed.
Corey once explained that having experience at the college or professional level can help parents understand the process better. That perspective became particularly important as Coco’s career began moving faster.
Corey Gauff was a college basketball player
Before becoming known as Coco Gauff’s father and coach, Corey was an athlete himself.
He played basketball at Georgia State University. His own experience as a college athlete gave him an understanding of training, competition and the pressure that comes with trying to perform at a high level.
When Coco started showing serious potential in tennis, Corey became increasingly involved in her development. Eventually, his role went beyond being a supportive father. He became her head coach and helped guide her through the early stages of her tennis career.
The coaching relationship has not always been easy. Like any father and daughter who spend countless hours together, Corey and Coco have had disagreements, especially as Coco grew older.
Coco has spoken about how their relationship changed when she reached her early teenage years. Tennis was no longer something that stayed at the court because her father was also her coach at home.
Over time, however, the two learned how to communicate better and understand each other.
Candi Gauff was a college track and field athlete
Coco’s mother, Candi, also has an impressive athletic background.
She competed in track and field at Florida State University. Her strongest event was the heptathlon, and her performance in 1991 remains notable in the school’s athletic history.
Candi’s experience as a college athlete meant that she knew firsthand what serious training and competition required.
But her role in Coco’s development eventually became much bigger than simply being a supportive sports parent.
Candi worked as a teacher before leaving her job so she could homeschool Coco. This allowed the family to build more flexibility around Coco’s increasingly demanding tennis schedule.
The decision was a major sacrifice, but it gave Coco more time to focus on training and tournaments during the years when her career was developing.
Why did Coco Gauff’s family move to Florida?
Coco was born in Delray Beach, Florida, but her family later lived in Atlanta. When she was in second grade, her parents began to recognize just how much potential she had as an athlete.
The family eventually moved back to Delray Beach.
The move was not only about tennis. Returning to their hometown also meant they could rely on Candi’s parents and have more family support nearby.
That became especially useful as Coco’s training schedule became more demanding.
The family made the move together, showing how much of Coco’s early tennis journey was a group effort. It was not simply about one young player attending practice. Her parents had to reorganize their entire lives around the opportunity.
Corey and Candi gave up their careers for Coco
One of the most important parts of Coco Gauff’s early story is the decision her parents made to step away from their careers.
Candi left her teaching position so she could homeschool Coco. Corey eventually left his role as a healthcare executive and became more directly involved in coaching his daughter.
The family’s finances also changed as a result.
Corey once joked that the family went from being a single-income household to a “no-income family” while they invested their time into Coco’s development.
It was a significant commitment, especially because there was no guarantee that their daughter would become a professional tennis player.
At that point, Coco was simply a talented young girl with a dream.
Her parents chose to support that dream and give her the opportunity to find out how far she could go.
Coco’s parents understood that success takes time
Coco became famous at a very young age, particularly after her breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2019. But Corey has repeatedly emphasized that her success was not an overnight story.
The attention arrived quickly, but the work had already been happening for years.
Her parents had watched her train, compete and develop long before she became internationally recognized.
Corey’s understanding of sports also helped him avoid putting unnecessary pressure on his daughter. His approach was to allow Coco to develop at her own pace rather than acting as if every tournament was a make-or-break moment.
That patience became one of the foundations of her early career.
Candi became the family mediator
Having a father as a coach can sometimes make family relationships complicated.
Coco and Corey have admitted that they have argued on the tennis court. Candi has sometimes stepped into the middle when disagreements became too intense.
She once described herself as something of a family mediator.
Her role was not only about tennis. She was also helping maintain a healthy relationship between a father and daughter who happened to spend a great deal of time together as coach and player.
Candi’s presence helped create a balance between the competitive side of the family and everyday family life.
That dynamic has remained an important part of Coco’s upbringing.
Coco’s younger brothers are athletes too
Coco is not the only athletic child in the Gauff family.
Her younger brother Codey has pursued baseball and has developed into a promising young player of his own. Born in 2007, he has grown up watching his sister compete at the highest levels.
Codey is committed to the University of Missouri and received an invitation to the 2026 MLB Draft Combine.
The relationship between the siblings appears to be supportive and competitive in a healthy way. Codey has spoken about how Coco wants him to go as far as he can.
Their shared experience of chasing major athletic goals has given the siblings something else in common.
The youngest brother, Cameron, was born in 2013 after the family returned to Delray Beach. Like his older siblings, he has grown up in a family where sports and hard work are a major part of everyday life.
Coco says her parents are her biggest supporters
Even after becoming one of tennis’s biggest stars, Coco has continued to speak warmly about her parents.
After her famous Wimbledon victory over Venus Williams in 2019, Coco explained that she often looked toward her parents during matches. Their reactions and encouragement helped her stay calm when she felt pressure.
Their support has continued during the biggest moments of her career.
When Coco was selected as a flagbearer for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony, her parents actually learned about the news before she did because their names were needed for security arrangements.
Coco was excited that they would be there to share the experience with her.
Why Corey does not always watch Coco’s matches
There is an interesting twist to Corey’s role as Coco’s father.
Although he has coached her for years, he does not always sit in the player box during her matches.
After Coco’s 2025 French Open triumph, Corey explained that he sometimes listens to music and walks around the stadium rather than watching from the box.
The reason is simple. He gets nervous.
Corey said that he worries Coco might sense his nervousness while she is competing. Coco has also acknowledged that her father’s reactions can sometimes distract her.
The arrangement seems to work for both of them. Corey can manage his nerves, while Coco can concentrate on her match without watching her father’s every reaction.
The family behind Coco Gauff’s success
Coco Gauff’s success is ultimately her own achievement, built through years of training, competition and determination. But her parents played a major role in creating the environment where that development could happen.
Corey brought his experience as a college basketball player and later became Coco’s coach. Candi brought her background in college track and field and eventually left teaching to homeschool her daughter.
Together, they moved their family, changed their careers and made tennis a major part of their lives.
Their story also shows why Coco’s rise was never simply an overnight success. Long before the trophies, major tournaments and global attention, there was a young girl with a racket, two athletic parents willing to make sacrifices and a family determined to see what she could accomplish.
Today, Coco Gauff continues to build her own legacy in tennis. And while she is the one competing under the bright lights, Candi and Corey remain two of the most important people in the story behind her journey.