Coco Gauff Confesses Unpopular Link With American Baseball History

Born in a sports-loving family, Coco Gauff once revealed that her parents never wanted her to “specify in a sport.” Hence, when she was 13, although she knew she was going to play tennis, they still put her into basketball and track events. While cross-training has become important for workout sessions, Gauff’s parents introduced this right from a very young age, and perhaps that’s the secret behind her incredible athleticism. From beach volleyball, soccer to even fencing, the 21-year-old has time and again showcased her love for multiple sports. But when it comes to singling out one of those, Gauff will perhaps choose baseball!

Why, you ask? Well, Coco Gauff’s brothers are involved in various sports. For example, Codey Gauff is now slowly establishing his name in baseball, while their youngest brother, Cameron, has time and again shared keen interests in various sports, including basketball and tennis. Talking about Codey in particular, he was also hyped as “the next wave of talent” in sports by one of the media houses, Andscape, on social media. This rising star has already announced his commitment to Mizzou Baseball. Family members, including parents and even his sister, Coco Gauff, often share posts on social media to show love and support to Codey.

But this isn’t the only factor connecting Coco Gauff with baseball. Recently, Gauff was seen attending an MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies. Following that match at the Great American Ball Park, the Reds shared a video clip on their X handle where Gauff was seen showcasing her excitement to finally get the chance to experience the Reds on the diamond.

And recently, after securing a spot in the QF of the Cincinnati Open, Gauff was asked to speak about her love for baseball. Replying to this during the press conference, she said, “I mean..I have love for it for sure. I grew up volunteering. My grandfather founded a little league in Delray, a nonprofit, and it’s still running to this day, and I volunteered there. I would sit and you know do the little score sheet at the press box for games and stuff.” As per various sources, her grandfather, Eddie “Red” Odom, founded the Delray Beach American Little League, which played a key role in bringing baseball to children in predominantly African-American neighborhoods.

Coco Gauff also mentioned, “My brother plays…so I know the game very well. I’m definitely someone who prefers to watch baseball in person than on TV. It can be boring, not going to lie, but if you have a good ballpark, which…that was my first time going to a Reds’ game, and they do have a good ballpark. It was a great time.” She also expressed her interest in seeing another match in the upcoming days.

Now, coming to the “hardcore baseball fan,” i.e., her grandfather, she revealed how he always reaches the stadium 2-3 hours early to see the batting practice and the warm-up sessions. According to Coco Gauff, her grandfather is someone who likes to stay till the end, even if the match goes over nine innings. And do you know another interesting aspect of the World No. 2?

Gauff claims that she has learned to stay patient because of baseball! Makes sense. An average MLB game includes nine innings that can run for 2.36 hours, which was even more (3 hours+) before 2023, prior to the implementation of the pitch clock. Even till today, if a game goes into extra innings, the hours increase!

Now, shifting our focus back to tennis, Coco Gauff secured a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in the R16. She’ll now face another Italian, Jasmine Paolini, in her next match.

But what did Gauff say about her performance in this match, though?

Coco Gauff looks keen to secure her second title at the Cincinnati Open

Coming straight off a horrible grass-court swing, Coco Gauff failed to impress her fans at the Canadian Open. She was defeated by the 18-year-old Canadian, Victoria Mboko, in the R16 by 1-6, 4-6. But at the Cincinnati Open, it seems Gauff has found her rhythm back.

After her impressive straight-sets victory over China’s Xinyu Wang in the first match, she got a walkover from Dayana Yastremska in the next one. But in the R16, her dominating performance against Bronzetti has now brought her inches closer to securing her second title in Cincy (after 2023).

Still, with her recent win over Lucia Bronzetti, Coco Gauff has added yet another feather to her cap. Since the Tier I/WTA 1000 format was introduced back in 1990, Gauff now has the third most QF appearances in such events with 19 before turning 22. Even her “idol” Serena Williams had 18!

While sharing her thoughts about her performance in this match, she said, “For the most part, I played aggressive. Maybe got a bit passive in some of those games. But it’s tough. The balls are super light, and they fly. She wasn’t giving me much pace. I was trying to play with control, but also aggressive. For the most part, I think I did well. I had chances in a couple of those games. I missed a couple balls. But I learned from it and was able to close it out.”

Taking the learnings from this match, can Coco Gauff put up yet another stellar show against Jasmine Paolini in the next match? Share your thoughts in the comment box.