​Coco Gauff’s parents are Candi and Corey Gauff. Both former college athletes, they have been married for more than two decades and chose to step away from their careers to dedicate themselves to helping their daughter pursue tennis. Corey and Candi have supported Coco since she first picked up a racket, and their teamwork and sacrifice laid the foundation for her rise in the sport.
The couple married in January 2001 and welcomed their daughter, Coco, on March 13, 2004. She was soon followed by two brothers, Codey, born September 21, 2007, and Cameron, born June 5, 2013. From the moment Coco showed an interest in tennis, her parents leaned in with wholehearted support, moving the family to Florida and leaving their jobs to focus on her development. Coco later recalled that her father encouraged her ambitions when she was eight years old, a moment she initially found hard to believe.
Today, Coco Gauff is a familiar name in tennis, but her father has stressed that her path to success was built on consistent effort rather than overnight luck. In a 2019 Teen Vogue interview, he emphasized that Coco’s rise was the result of hard work and discipline, not a sudden transformation: “This is not an accident. She might be overnight popular, but she’s not an overnight success.”
Before Coco’s birth, Corey and Candi were already heading toward athletic careers of their own. Corey played basketball at Georgia State University, while Candi competed in track and field at Florida State University. Candi’s remarkable performance in the heptathlon in 1991 remains one of the best scores in FSU history. While Coco clearly inherited athletic ability from her parents, Corey noted to The New York Times that the couple’s own experiences as high-level athletes helped them guide their daughter. They understood the process, avoided rushing, and learned to meet Coco where she was in her development, which in turn helped them raise a pro athlete effectively.
The couple’s bond has often been celebrated publicly. They wed on January 13, 2001, and in 2020, Candi shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram for their 19th anniversary. She posted a photo of Corey embracing her from behind with the caption: “19 years and counting. Happy Anniversary to us. 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!” Their partnership and shared commitment to family have remained a central part of Coco’s story, underscoring how parental support and sacrifice can shape a young athlete’s journey from early interest to global prominence.