Culture & Entertainment
Congratulations are in order for Cori “Coco” Gauff, who won her first 2023 US Open on Saturday. The 19-year-old defeated Aryna Sabalenka in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win, making her the first American teenager since Serena Williams to win the coveted title. After her win, Coco gave an inspiring speech about not giving up.
"Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me," she said. "Like, a month ago, I won a (World Tennis Association) 500 title, and people said I would stop at that. Two weeks ago, I won a 1000 title, and people were saying that was as big as it was going to get. Three weeks later, I’m here with this trophy now.
She continued, “I’ve tried my best to carry this with grace, and I’ve been doing my best so, honestly, to those who thought you were putting water in my fire, you were actually adding gas to it. And now I’m really burning too bright right now."
Many celebrities, including Coco’s idol, Serena, took to Instagram to share their excitement about Coco’s win. “Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!! @cocogauff,” Serena wrote on her Instagram story. Coco also praised Serena and her sister Venus for their contributions to tennis during her trophy presentation and post-match conference.
“Crazy. They’re the reason why I have this trophy today,” she said. “To be honest, they’ve allowed me to believe in this dream. Growing up, there wasn’t too many just Black tennis players dominating the sport. It was literally at that time when I was younger, it was just them that I can remember.
She continued, “And obviously, more came because of their legacy. So it made the dream more believable. But all the things that they had to go through they made it easier for someone like me to do this. I mean, you look back at the history with the Indian Wells, with Serena, all she had to go through, Venus fighting for equal pay.
“It’s just like it was crazy. And it’s an honor to be in that kind of lineup as them, and I’m looking at it, and she’s won this a lot of times.”
Along with her trophy, Coco also walks away with $3 million in prize money. As her fame continues to rise, we’ll be sure to get to know the Florida native better. But for now, here are three things we do know about Coco.
She still lives at home with her parents
As a 19-year-old millionaire, one would think she would have her own nice pad in the trendiest neighborhood, but Coco actually still lives with her parents. Coco made the declaration in a recent Instagram Live after her big win. When someone asked her about using her prize money to pay off debt, she revealed that she doesn’t have debt because she still lives at home with her parents.
Her aunt gave her the nickname Coco
Coco is named after her dad, Corey. However, having the same name became confusing for the family, and thus the nickname was born. "I believe it was my aunt who said, 'Oh, we should just call her Coco,'" she in an interview with Sports Illustrated Kids in 2021. "When my dad was growing up, people used to call him Co and I guess they just said, 'Oh, Coco’s a cool nickname.' Ever since then, I’ve been going by Coco. For sure more people used Coco than Cori."
She’s open about her Christian faith
After winning, the tennis phenom dropped down to her knees and prayed. Coco reflected on that moment with her Monday interview with Today. "I was just saying thank you, and I understood all the tough times were just to make that moment even sweeter," she said. "I think if it came easy, I wouldn't feel as appreciative as I did in that moment, clearly."
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