Why is Cori Gauff called Coco Gauff? The story behind the teen star's nickname

Since bursting onto the scene as a 15-year old in 2019, Coco Gauff has taken the tennis world by storm. She has handled the pressure of being a child prodigy exceptionally well and accomplished quite a few things in a short span of time. While the teenager is now a household name, many are unaware that "Coco" is not her birth name.

Born as Cori Gauff, "Coco" was a nickname given to her which has since become her primary identity. Since she was named after her father, Corey, and their names are quite similar, they came up with a nickname. It was her aunt who suggested they call her "Coco." Growing up, her father was also called "Co" and everyone went along with it.

"My nickname came about because we both can’t be named Corey/Cori, that’d be confusing. I believe it was my aunt who said, 'Oh, we should just call her Coco.' When my dad was growing up, people used to call him Co and I guess they just said, 'Oh, Coco’s a cool nickname.' Ever since then, I’ve been going by Coco. For sure more people used Coco than Cori," Gauff said in an interview

Gauff even insisted on being called Coco in a campaign for New Balance.

"I may be the new kid, but win or lose, call me Coco," Gauff says in the campaign.

Coco Gauff has steadily risen to the top since her debut in 2019

Coco Gauff at the 2022 Western & Southern Open

While plenty of youngsters start off strong and then fizzle out, Coco Gauff is living up to her potential. Since her debut in 2019, she has made it to at least the fourth round of all Grand Slams, except for the US Open. The teenager reached her maiden Grand Slam final in singles at this year's French Open, but lost to the in-form Iga Swiatek.

Gauff has won two singles titles so far and has displayed her versatality by performing well on all three surfaces. She is on the cusp of making her top-10 debut, peaking at No. 11 in the WTA rankings.

Gauff is also an accomplished doubles player. She has won two WTA 1000 titles and recently became the World No. 1. She has also reached a couple of Grand Slam finals in doubles. The first was at the 2021 US Open and the second was at the 2022 French Open.

Gauff has been touted as the 'next big thing' for a while now, and she's certainly living up to the hype. While there's still a lot left for her to accomplish, the American youngster's results and demeanor have made her one of the leading stars on the women's tour.