Coco Gauff recently celebrated Jalen Sera’s 22nd birthday and received a delightful message in return.
Gauff has kicked off her 2024 European claycourt campaign. After her quarterfinals appearance in Stuttgart, she's competing at the Madrid Open, where she's through to the third round with a resounding 6-0, 6-0 victory over Arantxa Rus.
The American next face Dayana Yastremska for a spot in the final 16. She's also contesting doubles with her compatriot Taylor Townsend.
Despite her busy schedule, Coco Gauff was prompt in wishing Jalen Sera and his twin brother, Terence, on their 22nd birthday. The World No. 3 revisited a fond memory of her picnic with the duo.
"Happy birthdayyyy @jalensera @iamterencejt 22!!" she wrote on Instagram.
Sera, an Atlanta-based guitarist, was elated by Gauff’s message and thanked her, treasuring the day they spent together.
"This was a great day. Thank you thank you thank you," he responded.
Jalen Sera often interacts with Coco Gauff on social media, leaving complimentary messages under her posts.
Before beginning her claycourt campaign, the 20-year-old gave fans a peek into her off-court life as she enjoyed some downtime with her friends and family.
"Happy to be alive," she captioned one of her posts.
Sera showed his admiration by saying:
"The world needs you."
The guitarist also called Coco Gauff a “sunshine girl” when she shared a few other highlights of her holidays. The tennis player responded in kind.
"Flower boy," she wrote.
Coco Gauff was acknowledged by Jalen Sera in light of her recent Time Magazine feature
Coco Gauff recently featured in Time Magazine’s cover story, where she opened up about her hardships, including being subjected to a racist attack in Croatia as a child. The youngster maintained a wise approach despite the brutal treatment.
"I just kind of got over it the next day, I just felt like that’s just something that people experience, which is not a great thing," she said about the incident, "I don’t have any anger towards it. It was not an experience that defined me."
Gauff spoke about the accolades she’s earned as a professional and the on-court setbacks that shaped her career. The American also highlighted the importance of representation in tennis.
"As a little girl, it was very important to see representation," she said about being inspired by the Williams sisters. "I don’t think I would have had the belief I could do it if it wasn’t for them."
Among other things, the 2023 US Open champion touched on her bond with her family and her “first real relationship” with her boyfriend too. The 20-year-old also partook in a sporty photoshoot as part of the cover story.
Jalen Sera was delighted by the feature.
"One of one," he wrote on Instagram.