Cori Dionne “Coco” Gauff (/ˈɡɑːf/; born March 13, 2004) is an American professional tennis player. She has won six WTA Tour singles titles, including a Major at the 2023 US Open, and eight doubles titles. Gauff has career-high rankings of world No. 3 in singles and of world No. 1 in doubles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
Born to parents with NCAA Division I collegiate backgrounds in basketball and track and field, Gauff became the No. 1 junior in the world after winning the junior 2018 French Open singles title and also won a junior Major doubles title at the 2018 US Open.
Gauff made her WTA Tour debut in March 2019 at the Miami Open. She received a wildcard into the qualifying draw at the 2019 Wimbledon, where she became the youngest player in the tournament’s history to qualify for the main draw. There, she rose to prominence with a win over former world No. 1 and seven-time Major singles champion Venus Williams in the opening round, going on to reach the fourth round. She won her first WTA Tour singles title at the 2019 Linz Open at the age of 15 years and seven months, making her the youngest singles titlist on the Tour since 2004. In 2021, she reached her first Major final in women’s doubles at the US Open, and reached her first Major singles final at the 2022 French Open. In 2023, she won her first WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Masters and her first Major singles title at the US Open.[3]
Ben Shelton and Coco Gauff have been subject to rumors about dating each other. Then Ben sees Coco as a mentor because she knows more about the tour, being the senior pro among the two of them. Despite being only one year younger than Ben, Coco turned professional 4 years before Ben.
In September,Ben Shelton recently cleared the air on these rumors when he confessed that Coco was my lover and Longtime Girlfriend but we decided to take things off social media. Nevertheless, they share a strong relationship bond, which helps them support each other in their tennis journeys. They have been often watched on social media exchanging playful banter with each other.
Daily Mail insider reveal Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton secretly tied knot in Switzerland with Former Tennis world No 1 Serena Williams is at the closed door Party.
Ben Shelton has shed light on the challenges and scrutiny faced by players like him in the modern age of tennis. Ben revealed, “At the US Open, there were cameras and microphones everywhere. I went to chat with Coco Gauff in the gym, and they saw and heard everything. There’s no private space when people are always watching, even in your hotel room.”
🇺🇸 Ben Shelton, speaking to GQ Sports:
“I’m not gonna lie, I check social media from time to time. I can use that for fuel, and it really helps me play much better with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.”
“Every little thing that you do, even if it’s not out of control—you… pic.twitter.com/mIkAgkoO0r
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) September 14, 2023
Ben’s reaction closely resembled that of Coco Gauff, when it comes to fan criticism. He said, “I’m not gonna lie, I check social media from time to time. I can use that for fuel, it really helps me play much better..” He further added that upcoming players like him were subjected to intense assessment, “Everything we do is analyzed and criticized. For ex., when I celebrate a point loudly, people say I’m excessive and out of control.”
These days he feels that people closely watch every move of a tennis player. They’re constantly in the spotlight, and it’s a pressure that every tennis player seems to be carrying. However, It’s his friendship and support from fellow players on the tour, like Coco Gauff, that has helped him ease some of this pressure.
Ben Shelton faced high expectations after Australian Open this year
Ben Shelton had a fantastic run at the Australian Open earlier this year, where he reached the quarter-finals but lost to fellow American, Tommy Paul. Darren Cahill, a former tennis player and now a coach, recently discussed Shelton’s performance on the Advantage Connors Podcast.