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At just 21, Coco Gauff secured her second Grand Slam title by winning the French Open on Saturday. But the Gen Z tennis star knows that it wouldn’t have been possible without her mom or dad.
During a post-match press conference, Gauff spoke about how her parents’ unwavering support helped set her up for success.
“You know, they’re definitely someone who listens to my opinion the most, and I think sometimes we hear crazy stories of tennis parents and all that, and I can say I don’t relate to that,” Gauff said.
Gauff said her father respected her request that he take a step back from her tennis career — a move she said “ended up being a great thing for both of us.” Her father, Corey Gauff, was her primary coach until 2023.
The tennis champion also said that she told her mother, Candi Gauff, that she “needed her to be on the road more.”
“I have my physio, but you know, being in a team full of men, I was like, I need some estrogen and some female energy here, so I asked my mom to go. You know, women just notice more things,” Gauff said.
Gauff said she was glad her parents were around to celebrate her win with her.
“They put so much sacrifice into this, so I’m glad that I get to experience it with them,” she added.
Following her French Open win, the tennis star was photographed in the stands giving her parents a big hug.
Following her win, Gauff’s father spoke to Bleacher Report about how he supported his daughter throughout the tournament.
“I try and find a quiet corner and look at it on my iPad, and then I make notes, and sometimes I’m texting her and texting the coaches if I see something I think they can’t see,” her father said.
In a 2018 interview with The Sun Sentinel, a daily paper in Florida, Gauff’s parents shared that they both left their professions to support their daughter’s tennis career. Her mother stepped away from teaching to homeschool Gauff, while her father left his job to become her full-time coach.
In a 2019 interview with The New York Times, Gauff’s parents shared that their experiences as former college athletes helped them guide their daughter through her journey in professional tennis.
“I think it helps parents when they have played as high as college or even pro,” her father told the Times. “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.”
A representative for Gauff did not immediately respond to a request for comments sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.
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