Candi Gauff Was Once a Star Athlete – She Gave Up Her Job to Support Coco Gauff’s Tennis Career

Candi Gauff wanted to pursue a professional athletic career when she was younger and even made it to state-level competitions. Although she couldn’t realize that dream, she gave her daughter a fighting chance to pursue her own.

Coco Gauff’s mother, Candi Gauff, first fell in love with gymnastics. When she needed to move to train in the sport, her parents wouldn’t allow it, so she focused on track and field. She called the latter sport her second love.

But, more than anything, Candi said what drove her was her love of competing. It didn’t matter what sport she would end up pursuing full-time; Candi knew she would give it her best simply because she liked competing.

As a track and field star, she earned the Sun Sentinel’s Track Athlete of the Year for Palm Beach County for two consecutive years and made it onto the Florida state team.

Although she eventually abandoned the sport, she and her husband, Corey Gauff, gave birth to another generation of athletes. Their eldest, Coco Williams, is a budding tennis star, and their sons also excel in their chosen fields.

Candi led a full-time teaching career until her daughter was in second grade. She and her husband lived in Atlanta and had Coco involved in sports from an early age. When they saw her potential in tennis, they decided to commit entirely to helping her reach it.

So, they moved into Candi’s parents’ home before finding their own in Delray Beach. Candi homeschooled her daughter, while Corey, a former athlete and state-level basketball player, left his job to coach her.

Although Candi describes herself as a “helicopter mom,” she said, “I do let [my kids] do a lot of stuff, but I just have to know.” Whenever Coco and Corey struggle to settle a conflict, she’s the supportive mom who stands in the middle and helps them resolve it.

“There was a breaking point, and I stopped it and went to the center of the court and said, ‘This is Switzerland. This is where, if you have a problem, you come here and discuss it,'” she recalled one incident.

Candi and her husband welcomed Codey and Cameron Gauff after Coco. In early 2023, the mom of three celebrated Codey’s first baseball game as a high schooler. Later, in June, the youngster participated in a tournament.

Cameron, on the other hand, ventured into football. In November 2022, his mom congratulated his team’s win as two-time Super Bowl Champions in the 8U division. Additionally and impressively, Cameron had also earned the Academic Achievement award.

“Congratulations, CamBam, on your Academic Achievement award and an awesome season. You developed so well as the quarterback,” Candi wrote affectionately, sending shout-outs to all those who supported her son, including Uncle “Big Cat” Eddie Odom and her parents.