Coco Gauff has successfully begun her title defense at the US Open. With a straight-set victory over France’s Varvara Gracheva in the first round, the previously dismal hard-court season has finally picked up for Gauff. The reigning champion is now past her teenage. However, that’s not the only difference in her run this season as compared to the last one. Since January 2024, Gauff has had a new ace up her sleeve in the form of a mystery man.

Beside Brad Gilbert, a young man in a hat can sometimes be found in Gauff’s box. This is Felipe Ramirez Luna, a former player, who is now a member of the American WTA star’s team. He is often spotted with a Mouratoglou Academy cap perched on his head. The duo reportedly started working together this January, just before the Australian Open. Per tennis journalist Gaspar Ribeiro Lança, Gauff wanted Ramirez to travel with her for the Australian summer in 2024.

Originally hailing from Columbia, Ramirez was a tennis whiz and started playing the sport at the age of 6. By the time he turned 13, the Luna family had two older sons who had been studying in the States by then. And so began their relocation process, bringing Felipe Ramirez closer to realizing his tennis dreams.

Studying at the Florida Gulf Coast University, where Ramirez reportedly majored in a journalism degree, he was also a star player on the tennis team. In his own words to Redmas, “Out of the four years I was there, we won our conference twice and qualified for the national tournament three times.” Unfortunately, after a point of time, the Ramirez had to give up on his ATP dreams. Or rather, he moved on from being present on the court to lending a hand to another player from behind the scenes.

Ramirez revealed how Gauff’s team had contacted him in the last pre-season to fill in for another member who had left. Eventually, he became part of the team but he has clarified that he’s not exactly in a proper coaching position just yet. “I am the one who is with Coco on a day-to-day basis; I have to be aware of her practices, schedules, be aware of the racquets, the balls, that the court is in perfect condition, everything so that when she comes to train everything is 100%,” Ramirez added.

Crediting Gauff for being ‘mature for her age,’ Ramirez also credits Gauff’s parents for bringing up a “calm, charismatic, and noble” tennis player. “She’s very nice, she calls me Filipe or ‘Pipe’; it depends on the day…Sometimes we have some time to relax and we talk about where I come from, and why I don’t drink coffee when I’m from the land of the best coffee in the world. She’s very funny,” Ramirez further remarked.

Interestingly, if it hadn’t been for Ramirez’s father, he might never have had the chance to live a full life, much less travel the world for his favorite sport.

Coco Gauff’s mysterious team member survived a life scare 25 years ago

When an earthquake of 6.2 magnitude struck the Columbian Midwest on January 25, 1999, at 1:19 PM, the Ramirez family was one of those affected. While fortunately, most relatives made it out alive, Felipe Ramirez Luna was a year old when the natural disaster struck. As he was told by the family later, his dad had been bathing him.

As soon as the tremors started, Juan Alberto rushed outside without any care for clothes, saving himself and his son’s life. And to think, Felipe Ramirez’s future with Coco Gauff might never have come to fruition! “I’m telling you what I’ve been told. That day, my dad was giving me a shower when the earthquake started. He ran out with me in his arms, naked. I was only one year old… Thanks to his reaction, I’m here,” Ramirez revealed.

As Coco Gauff continues to have an up-and-down year, can her mysterious team member help her repeat her US Open feat from 2023? Only time will tell. For now, she plays in the second round against Tatjana Maria.