"My dad's emotional": Coco Gauff admits to father Corey taking "lot of bullets" during practice sessions as she elaborates on his player's box absence

Coco Gauff recently revealed that her father, Corey, endures a lot of "bullets" from her during her practice sessions. She also opened up about his absence from her player's box during her matches.

Gauff shares a strong bond with her parents, Corey Gauff and Candi Gauff. Corey was her first coach and continues to support her at her games and is often seen in the stands. However, during this year's Australian Open, the World No. 3 revealed that while she is not superstitious, her father has developed superstitions since her 2023 US Open campaign.

Gauff mentioned that Corey prefers to do laps around the court rather than stay in her player's box to calm his nerves, while her mother Candi remains composed in the stands.

"Yeah I mean I am not superstitious at all (but) he's incredibly superstitious," she said."Yeah my dad is here, don't know where but he is here somewhere. My mom does better holding her nerves in the box."

Now, in an exclusive interview with TIME magazine, Coco Gauff has opened up about her father's emotional nature and his reactions to her mistakes during matches. She admitted that seeing her father's disappointment after losing a point affects her performances.

To address this, Gauff and her coach Brad Gilbert decided to have Corey watch her matches from a different location to provide her with positive reinforcement, as his visible emotions were a distraction.

Coco Gauff also shared that Corey is the one who bears the brunt of her frustration, which she likened to "bullets," during practice sessions when she makes errors.

“My dad, he doesn’t give the best reactions in the box. He’s a very emotional person. Sometimes when I lose a point, the first thing I look at is the box and there’s something more reassuring seeing somebody clapping,” Gauff said. “Sometimes he has to take a lot of bullets.”

Coco Gauff credited her father after 2023 US Open win: "That man has supported me through so much, he’s the reason I won"

Coco Gauff with her US Open trophy

Coco Gauff secured her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the championship match. During the post-match interview, Gauff attributed her victory to her father.

"That man has supported me through so much. People always tried to tear us apart, saying he didn’t need to be in my box or he didn’t need to coach me anymore. Little do they know, he’s the reason I won this match,” she said.

The 20-year-old expressed gratitude towards her parents, Candi and Corey, acknowledging them as her "support system" throughout her career.

"My parents, they’re really my support system, helping me remember my clothes and everything. My dad is still sending me scouting reports every match. My mom is more so just being mom. My dad just being dad," Gauff said.

By clinching the 2023 US Open when she was 19, Coco Gauff became only the fourth American teenager to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open Era (since 1968). She joined the likes of tennis legends, Chris Evert, Tracy Austin and Serena Williams.