When it comes to American tennis, the first names that leap to mind are the legendary Williams sisters, Serena and Venus. Now, 20-year-old Coco Gauff proudly carries that torch, drawing endless comparisons to the sisters, not just for her explosive game but also for speaking out on equality. Yet, 2025 hasn’t been her smoothest ride, with her Roland Garros triumph standing as the lone shining peak of her Grand Slam season. With the grueling Asian swing looming, Gauff hit pause on the pressure-filled tour, choosing instead to recharge her soul as Coco Gauff unwinds at her great-grandmother’s unforgettable 90th birthday celebration.

Coco Gauff recently shared a heartfelt snapshot, standing proudly beside her great-grandmother to mark the milestone occasion. Her warm smile radiated as she held hands with the family matriarch.

Her great-grandmother, dressed in an elegant white lace dress with a delicate blue flower pin, looked graceful as the scene glowed with balloons and cozy family-style dining. Gauff captioned the post: “happy 90th bday to my great grandmother 🤍🤍🤍.”

Although Coco Gauff’s great-grandmother’s name is rarely mentioned in interviews or reports, the American star has always made time for her family, no matter how relentless her schedule becomes. She has built a reputation not only for her on-court excellence but also for showing up for the people who shaped her journey.

Back in May, Gauff’s mother, Candi, led the way in celebrating her own mother, Yvonne Lee Odom, with heartfelt Instagram stories. One touching photo showed Candi and Yvonne beaming in matching purple outfits, radiating joy. The family energy was infectious, and Coco soon joined in to honor her grandmother in her own special way.

Following her mother’s lead, Gauff posted a collage of four photos, three featuring herself and Yvonne and one spotlighting Odom in a stunning purple dress. Gauff’s caption struck a heartfelt chord: “Happy birthday to my beautiful grandmother, thank you for helping to shape me to the woman I am today, I love you @yvonne.odom.” It was a reminder that even in the chaos of the tour, family remains central to her story.

Her affection for family doesn’t stop there. Just last year, Gauff poured her heart out to her younger brother Codey on his birthday. She shared a series of Instagram stories celebrating him, including a collage with a young Codey in a Black Panther costume and another of him proudly holding a fish he caught.

In true big-sister fashion, she captioned it with humor and love: “He never takes pictures with me so this is all I have.” In another post, she shared a smiling selfie with Codey and wrote, “Happy Birthday to my brother @codeygauff thank you for making me a sister and it is the best thing in the world for me to be your sibling. I love you and enjoy your born day.”

Now, as Gauff wishes her great-grandmother a happy 90th birthday, she finds herself balancing personal joy with professional challenges. The Roland Garros champion has faced a noticeable dip in form since her Paris triumph, with early exits leaving her searching for answers.

And following her US Open defeat to Naomi Osaka, one of the sport’s legendary coaches has urged Gauff to address a glaring flaw in her game, a call for evolution that could define her next chapter.

Rennae Stubbs offers crucial guidance to Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff’s US Open campaign this year was far from smooth sailing. She had to battle hard in her opening match against Ajla Tomljanovic, grinding through three intense sets to advance. However, her run came to a halt in the fourth round, where she fell to Naomi Osaka in a surprisingly one-sided defeat. Gauff’s serve faltered under pressure; she committed five double faults and managed to win just 52% of her first-serve points compared to Osaka’s commanding 94%.

Rennae Stubbs, ever the straight talker, weighed in on the young star’s technical woes. Speaking on the ‘Fudd Around And Find Out’ podcast, Stubbs said, “Unfortunately for Coco, it’s a bit of a struggle right now. And sort of, you know, I talked to you about this a little bit. You know, when you have a technique flaw in your game, whether it be, you know, in basketball, obviously, it’s like your shooting technique or something with your feet or your crossover or whatever it is, there’s always you’re always working on improving your technique on whatever it is.”

Stubbs didn’t mince words about Gauff’s strengths and weaknesses. “And Coco has arguably one of the greatest backhands we’ve ever seen in the game, but her forehand is really quite technically quite flawed and her serve has um become a technical issue for her,” she added, shining a light on areas that need urgent refinement.

For Gauff, the road forward is as challenging as it is promising. The 21-year-old is set to return to the courts at the upcoming Asian swing, where she will be in action at the China Open later this month.

As the season draws to a close, fans are eager to see if Gauff can patch the cracks in her game and finish 2025 on a strong note.