"My mom was diagnosed with cancer" - Coco Gauff's mother Candi shares heartbreaking challenges she faced while pregnant with son Cameron

Coco Gauff's mother, Candi, opened up about the tough time she faced while pregnant with her youngest son, Cameron. She also revealed that during this period, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, adding to the emotional strain.

Gauff, 20, is the eldest among her siblings. Her brother Codey, 16, has shown great promise as a baseball prospect. Meanwhile, their youngest brother, Cameron, aged 10, has already displayed his sportsmanship by winning an Academic Award Under-8. He aspires to become an NFL star in the future.

Cameron recently graduated from elementary school, yet Candi couldn't be there in person due to her commitment to supporting her daughter at the French Open in Paris.

Despite the distance, Candi joined the ceremony virtually via FaceTime. She took a moment to express her heartfelt appreciation to her family, particularly acknowledging her mother, Yvonne Lee Odom, for stepping in and being present when she couldn't be there.

"Family!!!! Thank you for showing up when I was not able to. I was apart of the ceremony thanks to FaceTime. This is the difficult part of tennis, children, and parenting. Thank you family!!" Candi Gauff wrote on Instagram.

A day later, Candi took to Instagram once more to share a poignant memory from when she was 42 years old and pregnant with Cameron, featuring an image of her parents with her son. During that time, she received the devastating news of her mother's diagnosis of stage four lung cancer.

"Ok. Last post. But this brings tears!!!!! I found out at 42 years old that I was pregnant. My mom was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. I was not in a good place because 1. I was 42 and 2. My mom was just diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer," Candi wrote.

Candi Gauff also praised how her parents bring joy into her life through their "laughter" and "good" spirits:

"I am super blessed because if you know CamBam and if you know my mom, you know that they bring joy, laughter, and just a good spirit. And in the background is my Dad, just being a regular person doing the right thing by his family. I love you guys!!!"

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Coco Gauff shares how she takes inspiration from her grandmother Yvonne Lee Odom

Coco Gauff

During her title-winning campaign at the 2023 US Open campaign, Coco Gauff spoke openly about her grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, applauding her courage.

Gauff highlighted Lee Odom's groundbreaking achievement as the first Black person to attend the all-white Seacrest High School in Naples, Florida, and how she navigated challenges such as "racial injustice."

"You know, for those who don't know, she was the first Black person to go to, it was then called Seacrest High School. She was chosen to integrate that high school, and she had to deal with a lot of stuff," Coco Gauff told the media.

"I think that happened like six months after Ruby Bridges did her integration. So, you know, she had to deal with a lot of things, like racial injustice. Her leading the way that she is and being so kind to everyone regardless of their background is something that I take inspiration from," she added.

The American continued:

"Yeah, I think she's probably 'the' sole or one of the main reasons why I use my platform the way that I do and why I feel so comfortable speaking out."

Coco Gauff has started her French Open journey on a strong note, securing straight-set victories over Julia Avdeeva and Tamara Zidansek. She is now set to face Dayana Yastremska in the third round on May 31.