What to know about Coco Gauff's mom, dad and siblings

Gauff, a U.S. flag bearer at the 2024 Olympics, comes from a family of athletes.

July 24, 2024, 12:33 PM

American tennis star Coco Gauff comes from a family of athletes.

Her parents Corey and Candi Gauff, who have been married for over 20 years, are often by her side at tennis tournaments, as are her two brothers.

The family will undoubtedly be cheering Coco Gauff on when she competes in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she will be the female flag-bearer for the United States at the opening ceremony.

The 20-year-old is the first U.S. tennis player to carry the flag. She will walk alongside NBA champion LeBron James, both of whom were voted on by their fellow U.S. athletes for the honor, according to ESPN.

In 2023, when Coco Gauff earned another honor, winning the U.S. Open, the first people she celebrated with and thanked were her parents.

"Thank you guys. You believed in me from the beginning," she said to her parents, adding of a special U.S. Open memory, "My dad took me to this tournament, sitting right there, watching Venus [Williams] and Serena [Williams] compete, so it's really incredible to win on this stage."

Coco Gauff winner of women's championship of US Open and parents pose with trophy in front of fountain at Billie Jean King Tennis Center.
Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

Here are five things to know about Coco Gauff and her family.

1. Both her parents were college athletes.

Coco Gauff and her mom Candi Gauff during practice ahead of the 2020 Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Jan. 19, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia
Chaz Niell/Getty Images, FILE

Coco Gauff has been praised for her athleticism on the court, and athleticism, it turns out, runs in her family.

Corey Gauff was a basketball player at Georgia State University, while Candi Gauff was a star heptathlete on the track and field team at Florida State University.

"Candi was a very well-rounded athlete. She did the multi events, which meant she had to run, jump, hurdle, throw, all those things," Terry Long, who coached Candi Gauff at FSU, told the Tallahassee Democrat in 2019.

Candi Gauff, mother of USA's Coco Gauff, attends her daughters women's singles match against Poland's Magdalena Frech on day eight of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 21, 2024.
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Corey Gauff told the New York Times in 2019 that he believes his and his wife's collegiate experience helped them in raising their daughter.

PHOTO: Coco Gauff with her parents after her three set victory against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in their Women's Singles Final match on Day Thirteen of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Sept. 09, 2023
Coco Gauff with her parents after her three set victory against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in their Women's Singles Final match on Day Thirteen of the 2023 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Sept. 09, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

"I think it helps parents when they have played as high as college or even pro," Corey Gauff said. "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."

2. The family moved to Florida to help Coco's tennis career.

Coco Gauff was born in Atlanta, but as a child she moved with her family to Delray Beach, Florida, where they continue to live today, to further her tennis training.

3. Coco has two brothers.

PHOTO: FILE = Candi Gauff, and Corey Gauff, parents of Coco Gauff and her coach Diego Moyano watching Coco Gauff against Iga Swiatek of Poland during the Singles Final for Women on Court Philippe Chatrier at the 2022 French Open
Candi Gauff, and Corey Gauff, parents of Coco Gauff and her coach Diego Moyano watching Coco Gauff against Iga Swiatek of Poland during the Singles Final for Women on Court Philippe Chatrier at the 2022 French Open Tennis Tournament at Roland Garros, June 4th 2022 in Paris.
Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images, FILE

Coco Gauff is not the only child in her family, as she has younger siblings, Codey Gauff and Cameron Gauff.

Cameron, a middle school student, plays tennis as well as basketball and football, according to Candi Gauff's Instagram account.

Codey Gauff is pursuing a baseball career, according to his Instagram account.

After her U.S. Open victory, Coco Gauff was seen on the court talking on her phone, which turned out to be a call with one of her brothers.

"I FaceTimed my brother, but he didn't answer," she said in the post-match interview, adding that he did call her back.

4. Coco's dad was her first tennis coach.

PHOTO: FILE - Coco Gauff of the USA poses with the trophy with her father Corey Gauff following her singles final win against Rebeka Masarova of Spain during day seven of the 2023 ASB Classic Women's at the ASB Tennis Arena, Jan. 08, 2023 in Auckland
Coco Gauff of the USA poses with the trophy with her father Corey Gauff following her singles final win against Rebeka Masarova of Spain during day seven of the 2023 ASB Classic Women's at the ASB Tennis Arena, Jan. 08, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Phil Walter/Getty Images, FILE

Though his athletic background was on the basketball court, not the tennis court, Corey Gauff took the lead in coaching his daughter early on.

He previously told the New York Times that he extensively studied the careers of other great tennis legends, including Venus and Serena Williams, be able to coach his daughter.

In 2023, Corey Gauff stepped back from coaching his daughter full-time and is now more of a support system for her, like her mom.

"They're just really my support system," Coco Gauff said last week at a news conference after winning her quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open. "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."

5. Coco's parents saw her potential early on.

Coco Gauff in the Ladies's third round match during day five of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, July 5, 2024, in London.
Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images

Both Corey and Candi Gauff have said previously that they exposed their daughter to many sports, but she quickly fell in love with -- and showed a real talent for -- tennis.

In a 2019 interview with "GMA," Candi Gauff said her daughter was still in a stroller when she saw she was "destined to be something."

She recalled a time at her niece's track practice when Coco Gauff "got up out of her stroller and just started running."

"The problem was she kept on running and kept on running," Candi Gauff said. "But her determination was there, and I saw at an early age that she was destined to be something."

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