Coco Gauff Pays Heartwarming Tribute to Dad on His Birthday After Match Win in Cincinnati: “He Believes I Can Beat Even Carlos Alcaraz”

On Sunday (August 16), Coco Gauff overcame a set deficit to defeat Liudmila Samsonova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 in her opening-round match in the Cincinnati Open. And she won this match on her dad Corey Gauff‘s 55th birthday.

When Gauff was five years old, she and Corey watched Serena Williams win her fifth Australian Open singles title in 2010. While watching, Corey said he was convinced the now 23-time Grand Slam singles champion would become a GOAT (Greatest of All Time).

When his daughter learned what GOAT means, she declared she wanted to be the same one day. So Corey ran out and bought her a racket, and that’s how everything started.

Now, the 22-year-old is a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, a one-time Grand Slam doubles champion, three-time WTA 1000 champion, and a one-time WTA Finals champion. Corey instilled the belief in his daughter that she can do anything. Which is why Gauff joked that her dad can even think she has it in her to beat someone like Carlos Alcaraz.

Well, happy birthday dad. He’s not here, he’s at home watching in Florida, but he’s 55 today, so that was another thing… I didn’t want to lose on his birthday. But yeah, my dad means a lot to me.

Coco Gauff said during the on-court interview

Gauff will next face countrywoman Ann Li. In Cincinnati, Gauff is a one-time champion, winning in 2023 by defeating Karolina Muchova.

He’s the reason why I’m playing this sport and have so much belief. If it was up to my dad, he would say I can beat anyone, even if Carlos Alcaraz is on the other side. But that really shows the belief he has in me, and I love him so much.

Coco Gauff added

Alcaraz, however, is not competing in Cincinnati. The reigning champion withdrew as he is recovering from a wrist injury that has kept him on the sidelines since the Barcelona Open.

Coco Gauff admits she sometimes struggles to find joy while playing

Coco Gauff lost the joy of playing when she suffered an opening-round defeat at the hands of former World No.2 Paula Badosa at the Berlin Open. During the on-court interview following her latest win, the American ace revealed that talking to her dad, Corey Gauff, helped her have a good run at Wimbledon.

I am having fun out here. Yeah, it was kind of right before Wimbledon. I lost first round in Berlin, and I call my dad. I was like, ‘I want to stop, I can’t do this anymore.’ And he was like, ‘You know, just go out there and just practice tomorrow, I bet you’ll fall in love with it.’ And I practice like two days later and then had a good run at Wimbledon.

Gauff reached the semifinal and was on the verge of reaching the final, but Karolina Muchova saved a match point before eliminating her. Before this season, Gauff had never made it past the fourth round of the grass-court Major.

She has not yet won a title this year but has played two finals, in Miami and Rome, losing them to Aryna Sabalenka and Elina Svitolina, respectively. Before arriving in Cincinnati, she played at the Canadian Open, where she lost to eventual runner-up Elena Rybakina in the semifinals.

Gauff, who last won a title at the 2025 Wuhan Open, suffered a quarterfinal exit in Cincinnati last year. This year in Cincinnati, six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek is competing as the defending champion (beat Jasmine Paolini last year) and is chasing her second title of the season following her Canadian Open win.

Also read: Coco Gauff’s Ex-Coach Demands Tennis Rule Overhaul After Novak Djokovic’s Loss at Cincinnati