Coco Gauff’s family bond runs deep, and it’s showing up in all the right ways at the 2025 US Open. After another commanding victory, the third seed opened up about her mental toughness, giving credit where credit is due while playfully calling out her father’s tendency to take all the glory.
What Did Coco Gauff Say About Her Family’s Influence on Mental Strength?
Gauff is seeded third at the New York Major, and she began her campaign by defeating Ajla Tomljanović with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 in the first round. In the second round, she faced Donna Vekić and secured a win with a score of 7-6(5), 6-2. She advanced to the fourth round by defeating 28th seed Magdalena Fręch, winning 6-3, 6-1 in the third round.
After her win over Vekić, Gauff was asked about her mental fortitude while speaking to Sky Sports. The interviewer also mentioned that her father had previously claimed her mental strength came from him. That’s when things got interesting.
In response, Gauff laughed and set the record straight, explaining that her resilience comes from her father, mother, Candi, and grandparents.
“You must have only talked to my dad. She [Candi Gauff] probably didn’t want to embarrass him in the interview. I think it’s from both them [father and mother] and my grandparents. I think they’re both incredible people,” Gauff said.
”You must of only talked to my dad” 🤣
Coco Gauff jokes and discusses the resilience she get’s from her family 🫶 pic.twitter.com/U7HK5PTpyg
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) August 30, 2025
The World No. 3 went deeper into her family dynamics, describing her father as having a “fiery” temperament while her mother is more subdued. Gauff explained that she finds herself in the middle due to her parents’ contrasting personalities. She can get fired up on the court, but also knows when to calm down.
“My dad is a bit more fiery. He has a more fiery personality that can go too high sometimes, like zero to 100 in a second. And my mom is a bit more in the middle. So, I think I feed off both. Like, I get pumped up out there, and then I also sometimes mellow. So, I think I feed off both,” she added.
Gauff achieved her best result at the US Open in 2023, claiming the title after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the final. Last year, she reached the fourth round before losing to her compatriot, Emma Navarro.
How Will Coco Gauff Handle Naomi Osaka in the Fourth Round at the 2025 US Open?
After her victory over Fręch in the third round of the 2025 US Open, Gauff is set to face 23rd seed Naomi Osaka in the tournament’s fourth round. This matchup brings together two of the sport’s biggest names, with championship pedigrees at Flushing Meadows.
Coco Gauff takes the tiebreak and the first set over Donna Vekic! pic.twitter.com/A9J9GEFjZd
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 29, 2025
Leading up to the New York Major, Osaka participated in the 2025 Canadian Open, where she defeated players such as Liudmila Samsonova, Jeļena Ostapenko, Anastasija Sevastova, Elina Svitolina, and Clara Tauson to reach the final. She finished as the runner-up in the championship match after losing to Victoria Mboko.
At the 2025 US Open, Osaka began her campaign by defeating Greet Minnen with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in the first round. She then eliminated Hailey Baptiste, winning 6-3, 6-1 in the second round. The former World No. 1 secured her place in the fourth round against Gauff by overcoming 15th seed Daria Kasatkina, winning with a score of 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 in the third round.
What a win for Naomi! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xyZwrG4MVI
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 30, 2025
Gauff and Osaka have met five times on the WTA Tour, with the American winning three. Their most recent match was in the fourth round of the 2024 China Open, where Gauff triumphed after Osaka retired during the third set due to injury, with the score at 3-6, 6-4, 0-0 retd.
The winner of the upcoming fourth-round match between Gauff and Osaka at the US Open will advance to face either 11th seed Muchová or 27th seed Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals.
