September 10, 2023: It was the biggest moment of Coco Gauff‘s career. Beating Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, the 19-year-old became the first American to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999. And there was only one person she wished she could talk to: her brother, Codey. Promptly, a FaceTime call was made, which remained unanswered. She tried again. Still unanswered. By the time he called back, Gauff was already on her way to the podium—she had to cut the call after a brief talk—ready to accept her maiden Grand Slam title. Later a tweet came through explaining the surprising absence…

“No wonder my brother didn’t answer the phone. Legend says he’s still screaming to this day,” wrote the former World No. 2, sharing a video that showed the teenager screaming and jumping in joy in their family living room in the ending moments of the iconic match. Hailing from an athletic background with Gauff’s parents, Corey and Candi being involved in sports, Codey’s reaction was a reflection of their dedication and also a bond the two share.

For the unversed, Coco’s father was a baseball player at Georgia State University, while her mother was a track and field star at Florida State University. Growing up, the three siblings—the tennis prodigy also has an 11-year-old brother Cameron—were strictly required to pick up a sport of their liking. While we don’t need to reiterate what the oldest daughter’s choice was, her brother Corey is a college baseball player, and Cameron took up multiple disciplines, including football and tennis.

A catcher for the San Diego Padres Scout Team, Corey revealed how his middle child played football and basketball before deciding on baseball. While he started later than his big sister, “they both worked really hard growing up,” the father mentioned.

As the three children move toward their individual goals, what still remains is the closeness that the tightly knit Gauff family harbors—a recent example of which we got yesterday. As Corey turned 17, her sister shared a string of adorable Instagram Stories. The birthday collage highlighted their bittersweet sibling relationship as the tennis star wrote, “he never takes pictures with me anymore so this is all I have @codeygauff,” adding a laughing emoji. The montage featured the duo taking selfies, with one showcasing Codey’s love for fishing as she stood alongside a big catch. In another picture, Coco could be seen hugging her brother as he sported a ‘Black Panther’ outfit, while another showed Codey in his baseball uniform.

In another Story, she added Codey’s fishing image again and wrote, “name a more floridian picture.” “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 now. I love you and enjoy your born day,” read another wish.

This WTA star never fails to wish her brother on his special day. Last year, Gauff followed the same tradition of sharing their adorable pictures with a heartfelt message. “Happy birthday lil bro. Big 16!!! Thanks for being my biggest cheerleader. Love you. Enjoy it,” she wrote.

Gauff has always admired her brothers for inspiring her personal and professional life. She mentioned how she learned many important lessons from them because of their unique personalities. A “top backstop” of his class last year, Codey Gauff’s interesting personality has been a point of admiration for his sister.

Coco Gauff praised her brother Codey Gauff’s “low-key persona” 

This former US Open champion revealed she has learned many things from her brother Codey Gauff, both personally and professionally, due to his unbiased and carefree nature. “I think honestly you learn almost more from kids that you do from adults at times, because they are so, I guess, unbiased and carefree in the world,” she said.

Gauff emphasized Codey’s role and says, “Especially my brother Codey. He has this really confident but low-key persona about him. That’s something that I really try to emulate on the court.”

Gauff has always cheered for her brother. When a clip of Codey throwing a ball to an infielder surfaced on social media, proud sister Coco Gauff commented, “That’s my brother!” .

Coco Gauff’s birthday wish for her brother Codey Gauff is too adorable to miss! It not only highlights their relationship, but shows how much Coco loves him. As Codey continues to make a name for himself, many believe he will soon leave a mark in the sport with his amazing athletic skills. What do you think?