Coco Gauff makes her father Corey's dream come true by 'switching sports' to women's basketball with major investment

Coco Gauff has made a major foray into the world of women's basketball with an exciting investment. The World No. 3 also opened up about how the move held special meaning for her father Corey.

Gauff comes from a family with a rich sporting background, as the 20-year-old's mother Candi was a track and field athlete in college, while her father Corey played basketball at a collegiate level. The American followed in her parents' footsteps when she was younger, taking part in both track and basketball before she turned her focus to tennis.

However, Coco Gauff has reignited her passion for basketball by becoming an investor in Unrivaled, an innovative three-on-three women's basketball league. The league's inaugural season is set to commence on January 17, featuring top WNBA stars like Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu, and Breanna Stewart.

Announcing her involvement, the World No. 3 playfully shared that she was "switching sports" and joked that her father Corey's dream of her becoming a basketball player was finally coming true.

Gauff also delighted in the opportunity to uplift women's sports with her investment and expressed excitement about watching the players take the court in the league's inaugural season.

"I'm switching sports! My dad always wanted me to follow in his footsteps and play basketball. Haha sorry dad but this is as close as it will get 🤣. In all seriousness, I’m incredibly my grateful to get the opportunity to uplift women’s sports and I am super excited to join the @Unrivaledwbb family 💜💜💜 I can’t wait to watch!!," Gauff posted on her Instagram story.

Coco Gauff's Instagram story

"He was, like, 'You would have been right up there" - Coco Gauff on father Corey's WNBA aspirations for her

Coco Gauff with her father Corey - Source: Getty

During a press conference at the 2024 Stuttgart Open, Coco Gauff disclosed that her father Corey believed that she would've excelled in the WNBA if she had chosen to pursue basketball.

"Yeah, it's funny because my dad was actually talking about that," Gauff said. "He was, like, 'You would have been right up there. You would have been a sophomore. I would have had you shooting Js and everything.'"

While Gauff admitted that she didn't share her father's confidence, she admitted that she would've loved to test her defensive skills against WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark.

"I don't know if I would be that type of player, but I will say if I could go in another life I would love to play on the same time as Caitlin Clark just to see if I could guard her. Obviously now I definitely couldn't, but I don't know, if I trained for it, just to see," she added.

On the tennis front, Coco Gauff will be in action at the 2025 Australian Open next, with the main draw action commencing on January 12. The American made a dream start to the new season by leading Team USA to victory at the United Cup, winning all her singles matches without dropping a set.