Coco Gauff: "In the Black community, tennis is not a major sport, it's super expensive; I'm grateful my dad found a way to put me on this stage"

Coco Gauff recently expressed her gratitude towards her father, Corey, for his support in her tennis career. She acknowledged that tennis is not a widely recognized sport within the Black community, making her father's encouragement and dedication even more meaningful.

Gauff had a strong start to her 2024 season, winning the ASB Classic by defeating Elina Svitolina. She continued her impressive run with a semifinal finish at the Australian Open.

Ahead of her campaign at the 2024 Dubai Tennis Championships, the World No. 3 spoke to The National and opened up about the support she receives from her father, Corey.

Coco Gauff revealed that her father had never thought that she would be able to play tennis, given the sport's limited presence in the Black community. She expressed her gratitude for his dedication in providing her with the necessary training and the resources to reach her current level of success.

Gauff emphasized her desire to make her father proud, recognizing the sacrifices he has made to fuel her passion for tennis, a sport known for being 'super expensive.'

“He’s said, ‘I never thought in a million years my daughter would play tennis’ because to be honest, in the black community, it's not a major sport, and it's super expensive. So I'm really grateful that my dad found a way to put me on this stage and hopefully I can always make him proud,” Coco Gauff said.

"He's always involved and he's helping me with every moment, making sure I have the right people in the team and he still gives me advice on the court and everything. But for him, he always said like, ‘If I could help her, get to her first one [Major], that would be my time to step back’,” she added.

Coco Gauff also revealed that it was her decision to pursue tennis professionally. She also stated that her father would have supported her equally if she had chosen to pursue any other sport besides tennis.

"I think the difference between a lot of the dads on tour and [my dad] is that it was never his dream, it was always my dream," she added. “I was always the motivation behind it and me being his child, he was just like, ‘How can I help her accomplish her dreams?’ And if my dream was to not play tennis at all, or be in a different sport or even anything different I think he would still support me just as much."

Coco Gauff on the ongoing Israel-Palestine war: "Just pray for peace and demand peace”

Coco Gauff at the 2023 WTA Finals

Coco Gauff is known for her outspokenness on societal injustices and the causes she supports. While speaking to The National, Gauff addressed the war crimes occurring in Gaza amidst the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

She expressed her hope for an end to the violence, stating that she is keeping those affected in her prayers.

“I feel like it would be ignorant to say I’m not aware, I’m very aware of everything that's going on in Gaza. For me, I always say I pray for peace in the region. And I really don't like what's going on," Coco Gauff said.

The World No. 3, also spoke about the importance of her platform in inspiring others to take action. She encouraged individuals to donate, pray, and advocate for an immediate cessation of the conflict.

“In my position, I know there's not much I can do other than raise awareness and donate. So that's what I encourage everyone to do and just pray for peace and demand peace and demand that this stops happening,” she said.

“I do advocate for peace and I advocate for the thousands, I think it's almost like I said millions at this point, of kids and innocent people being killed for a conflict that I feel like shouldn't be happening,” she added.