Not a huge party person : Tennis prodigy Coco Gauff reveals super casual 21st birthday plans, and we d like an invite please!
Get the Full StoryCoco Gauff is killing it at the Australian Open, having just beaten Brit Jodie Anna Burrage in straight sets this Wednesday to advance to the third round. But just around the corner is another major life milestone the tennis prodigy s 21st birthday. At 20 years and 10 months old, Gauff might have won two Grand Slams and climbed to No. 2 and No. 1 in the Women s Tennis Association ranking in the singles and doubles categories, respectively, but in the U.S. she ll still not allowed to drink alcohol, rent a car, or gamble. That will all change on March 13, but she s not too bothered. In a post-match interview on Wednesday, the 2023 U.S. Open champion revealed her very laid back plans for the landmark birthday, and they consist of having a drink with her parents and maybe doing an escape room, which she loves. Gauff says she s not a huge party person despite her friends encouraging her to have a blowout in Miami and do something crazy to honor the occasion. Coco, whose real name is Cori, was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved back to her parents hometown of Delray Beach, Florida when she was seven for better training opportunities. Candi and Corey Gauff both gave up their careers to put their all into their daughter s tennis dreams. I m an athlete, so this is my thrill, is being here, she concluded after adding that maybe that celebratory drink with mom and dad will have to wait considering she ll be competing at Indian Wells, also known as the BNP Paribas Open, in March. Still, it s not like Gauff has never drunk before. She confessed that, thanks to her profession taking her around the world, she has been in multiple places where you re legal after 18. I was legal everywhere except the U.S., so I don t think that much will change because I travel a lot, she teased as Candi laughed from the Rod Laver Arena stands. Well, when you lock in what you're doing and where you're going let us all know, CocoGauff!We'll try to make an appearance.#AO2025 pic.twitter.com NDEkt7XzeF #AusOpen AustralianOpen January 15, 2025 Gauff has been played professional tennis since 2018, when she was just 14 years old. In 2019, she made history as the youngest player in the Open Era to make it through the Wimbledon qualifying tournament and into the main draw. That same year, she won her first pro tournament at the Miami Open in Miami Gardens. Since then, the tennis star who has modeled much of her career after her idol Serena Williams has won 10 singles titles, including the aforementioned 2023 US Open and the 2024 WTA Finals, and nine doubles titles, winning the French Open in 2024 with Czech player Kate ina Siniakov . Off the court, however, Gauff is an escape room-loving Marvel nerd, even dressing up as Ladypool from Deadpool & Wolverine for Halloween. Her most recent New Balance kit is also designed to emulate the cut-outs in her favorite Marvel heroes costumes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coco Gauff cocogauff View this post on Instagram A post shared by Women s Tennis Association wta Her birthday plans might seem a little too chill for some, but they re right up our alley, so if she s got any spare slots in her escape room tag team, we d like to volunteer. Before all that, however, the sports champion is locked into her Australian Open run. Her best performance in the prestigious Melbourne tournament came last year, when Gauff made it all the way to the semi-finals before being defeated by the Belarusian Aryna Siarhieje na Sabalenka. Coco s next match happens Fri., Jan. 17, where she ll face off against Canadian Leylah Fernandez.Share: