American rising star in tennis Coco Gauff has taken the tennis world by storm, but when it comes to her love life, this WTA star likes to keep things private. Amid her progress in the ongoing Australian Open, the fraternity remains curious: who is the man cheering for Coco Gauff’s incredible career growth, and how did he motivate the WTA star to come this far?

Gauff entered the Happy Slam’s fourth round after an impressive straight-sets victory over Canadian Leylah Fernandez by 6-4, 6-2. With this dominant victory, she is all set to face Swiss WTA player Belinda Bencic at Rod Laver Arena today. Beyond her family’s support, one constant in Gauff’s journey is her boyfriend, Jalen Sera. While details of their first meeting remain unknown, this 2023 US Open winner revealed in an interview with TIME last April that this is her “first real relationship.” Sera, an Atlanta-born musician, also aspires to be an actor. “He’s a very nice guy. He’s in school now, about to apply for music school. He wants to be an actor and plays the guitar,” Gauff shared. Interestingly, their connection seems almost fate-driven given her mother, Candi Gauff, was Sera’s fourth-grade teacher.

Sera has been a steady supporter of Gauff’s career, often attending the WTA star’s matches to cheer for her. Even when he is not present at the box, he hardly misses a chance to celebrate her achievements. When Gauff secured the 2025 United Cup trophy and shared the news on her IG platform, her boyfriend Sera showed his admiration with a simple yet adorable comment: “Here we go.” His support has extended congratulatory messages. Gauff recalled how Sera’s encouragement helped her during the 2023 US Open, where she clinched her maiden Grand Slam title. The night before the final, nerves got the best of her, and Sera stayed on the phone till late night to ease her tension. “I told him, ‘Let’s talk until it’s time to go to sleep,’ so we spoke until 1:00 a.m., and then I went to sleep,” Gauff shared.

The former US Open champion also spent her off-season with a great vacation in Los Angeles with Sera. Together they attended Tyler the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival and Gauff received a special mention in Tyler’s song. Reflecting on that, Gauff revealed how her boyfriend predicted that earlier. “Then my boyfriend is like, ‘Watch, he’s going to drop you in a song.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, that would be insane.’ That’s never going to happen. Three weeks later it happened. I was like, ‘Can he see into the future or what?'” said the WTA star.

Coco Gauff and Jalen Sera’s romance has stormed social media many times. Although they hardly make public appearances together, Sera often shares PDA for his belle delighting Gauff’s followers with his determination and love for the WTA star. For example, when Gauff shared her presence on TIME’s cover last year, Sera commented, “One of one💫,” fuelling the sign of his romance with Gauff. In April, he again appeared in Gauff’s comment box and wrote, “The world needs you🕸️” complementing his belle’s mirror selfie look. However, Gauff’s interest in Sera didn’t grow because of tennis. In fact, its quite the opposite. Curious to find out what she said? Read on!

Coco Gauff once thanked her stars that her boyfriend didn’t play tennis

When the former US Open champion first talked about her boyfriend with TIME Magazine, the very first thing she revealed was her happiness knowing her boyfriend wasn’t a tennis player. “To just have someone to talk to who is not involved in tennis at all gives me a fresh perspective,” said Gauff reflecting on her relationship with Sera.

She also responded to the rumors that suggested her friend Ben Shelton was her romantic partner. “Some people thought it was someone in tennis, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Gauff said to TIME. However, refuting the claims, she confessed, “I told my boyfriend, ‘Thank God you don’t play tennis,’ because [Tashi Duncan is] right. I would not want to date a scrub on tour.” Referring to Zendaya’s Challengers, Gauff’s statement oozed bliss in having her life partner away from her competition zone. Later she commented on her thread mentioning it as a joke.

Gauff has always praised Sera. Highlighting her mother’s teachings, she complimented her boyfriend and said, “My mom always said, if they’re bad in school, they’re probably bad as adults. He’s always been a smart, nice kid.” On the other hand, Sera also made his love official for Gauff with an infinity necklace she wore during her US Open run. She later revealed how it came as a special gift from her beau.

Coco Gauff’s relationship with Jalen Sera inspires the new generation to balance their love life and career with full commitment. Although Sera remains away from the media spotlight mostly, he always cheers his partner on and motivates her through her important career milestones. Their support for each other showcases how he remains an integral figure behind Coco Gauff’s indomitable spirit and resilience for more titles.