Coco Gauff had an extra reason to fight back at the Cincinnati Open on Sunday. The No. 4 seed overcame Liudmila Samsonova 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the third round, doing so on a particularly meaningful day for her family.

Gauff's father, Corey Gauff, celebrated his 55th birthday back home in Florida, and the 22-year-old made it clear during her on-court interview that she wanted to give him a victory to celebrate.

According to the post shared by The Tennis Letter, Gauff said, “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.”

The remark captured the confidence Corey has always placed in his daughter. Corey was previously Gauff’s coach and played a major role during the early stages of her tennis career.

Gauff also used the moment to address fathers involved in their daughters’ tennis journeys.

She urged them to support their children without putting excessive pressure on them, pointing to one lesson Corey emphasized throughout her development.

“The most important thing that my dad instilled in me was to have fun,” Gauff added, as per The Tennis Letter's post on X.

Gauff's comeback came during another important stretch of her season. After reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon and the Canadian Open, she arrived in Cincinnati still searching for her first title of 2026.

Coco Gauff’s father Corey has been central to her tennis journey

Corey's influence on Coco's development goes back to her teenage years, when he coached her through the early stages of her professional career. In a 2021 interview with the USTA's Arthur Kapetanakis, he explained how her approach to competition had evolved.

"When she was 15, she went to the fourth round, the third round, the fourth round, the first couple of Slams before she turned 16," Corey said. "So a lot of that was pure adrenaline and just competing with a lot of heart, but not a lot of mental engagement and discipline."

Corey's comments showed the mentality he helped Coco develop as she matured, with a greater focus on staying composed and executing her game plan.

"Now, she's approaching it much differently, staying engaged mentally for the entire match, doing a better job executing a game plan," Corey added.

Since making her WTA Tour debut at 15, Gauff has developed into a Grand Slam champion, winning the 2023 Cincinnati Open before claiming her maiden major at the US Open later that year.

Gauff's comeback against Samsonova gave her the birthday gift she wanted to give her father, while her comments showed just how deeply his influence remains part of her game.

Written by

Nilendu Brahma

Edited by

Rudra Dubey