Corey Gauff is the father and former primary coach of American tennis star Coco Gauff. He played college basketball at Georgia State University before working as a healthcare executive.
To fully support his daughter’s tennis career, Corey stepped away from his corporate role and moved the family from Atlanta back to Delray Beach, Florida. He served as Coco’s head coach during her early years on the WTA Tour, helping establish the athletic foundation that eventually led to her Grand Slam success.
Defending Ben Shelton
Corey Gauff publicly defended Ben Shelton from online trolls during the 2026 US Open.
After Shelton pulled off a four-set second-round victory over Hubert Hurkacz, he celebrated passionately on the court with his team, and the official US Open Instagram account posted a video of his raw reaction. This prompted a fan to comment that Shelton needed to calm down and was being way too over the top.
Corey quickly shut down the online criticism by replying directly to the user with a blunt response of ‘Shut up.’
While this reaction highlighted the strong camaraderie within the American tennis community, Corey has also developed a reputation for standing up against online trolls who criticize young players.
Sorana Cîrstea Controversy
The fair-play controversy with Sorana Cîrstea erupted during a tense second-round match between Cîrstea and Naomi Osaka.
Cîrstea complained to the chair umpire about Osaka shouting “C’mon!” in her ear and celebrating between Cîrstea’s first and second serves. The tension continued into their post-match handshake, when Cîrstea told Osaka, “You have no idea what fair play is, my friend.”
As critics online attacked Osaka for allegedly breaking tennis etiquette, Corey stepped in to defend her.
He argued that high-level tennis is emotional and that passionate, mid-match self-motivation should not be confused with a lack of sportsmanship. He emphasized that young athletes have the right to fire themselves up on the court without having their character attacked by fans or opponents.
Taking Inspiration From Serena Williams
Corey also drew inspiration from Richard Williams’ blueprint for raising and developing Venus and Serena Williams.
Inspired by Williams’ success with Venus and Serena, he decided to introduce his daughters, Coco and her sister, to tennis. With no formal tennis coaching experience, Corey studied Richard Williams’ methods, using public courts, training DVDs, and instructional books to help train his daughters.
The Williams family’s influence has remained an important part of Coco’s journey and Corey has spoken about studying Richard’s approach and taking inspiration from the way he guided Venus and Serena from their early days in tennis toward the highest levels of the sport.
2026 US Open Essentials
- US Open Prize Money Breakdown: How Much Will Players Earn?
- Novak Djokovic Dealt Bad News After First Round Exit
- Carlos Alcaraz Wrist Injury: How One Mistake Risked His Chances
- Top 25 Highest-Paid Tennis Players by Career Earnings
