The hidden side of Coco Gauff’s life off court — meet the man behind her “first real relationship”.NN

Coco Gauff may be one of the most well-known athletes in the world, but there are still plenty of things fans don’t know about her life. Case in point? The identity of her boyfriend, who she has been dating since 2023. Gauff explained the couple’s decision to stay ultra private in a 2024 interview with People.

“Honestly, it wasn’t something I got to set in stone,” she told the publication. “I think I felt like I just, some parts of myself I love to share, and then some parts I think I just keep to myself.”

The tennis star said that the “beauty of it all” is that “people still know me and know parts of me, but not everything,” adding, “So I do feel like my life is a little bit in my hands too.”

All that being said, Gauff has shared select tidbits about her personal life over the years. Whether stepping out on the red carpet alongside fellow tennis celebrity Naomi Osaka, or posting from inside the Olympic Village, the 2023 U.S. Open champion offers a sneak peek every now and then about what’s happening off court. Ahead, everything we know about Coco Gauff’s mystery boyfriend.

He’s also from Atlanta.

Gauff’s boyfriend got the ultimate seal of approval thanks to the tennis star’s mom Candi, who was actually his fourth grade teacher. She revealed the connection in an interview with TIME.

“My mom always said, if they’re bad in school, they’re probably bad as adults,” Candi told the outlet. “He’s always been a smart, nice kid.”

He doesn’t play tennis.

In the same interview with TIME, Gauff explained that this is her “first real relationship,” adding, “To just have someone to talk to who is not involved in tennis at all gives me a fresh perspective.”

Fans were thus given two more clues: Gauff had not had a boyfriend before, and her beau does not play tennis. Gauff also said as much during an interview with Vogue: “Some people thought it was someone in tennis and that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

The couple has some thoughts about ‘Challengers.’

Given her status as one of the world’s best players, Gauff and her beau obviously had to watch Challengers. The French Open doubles champion later joked about the love triangle in the film starring Zendaya as Tashi Duncan.

“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,” Gauff said, per an ESPN Instagram post. She then commented: “I was joking bruh 😭😭 plz don’t take this seriously.”

He supported her victory at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Apparently he has a calming effect on Gauff, who was feeling anxious before her 2023 U.S. Open final versus Aryna Sabalenka. Gauff won the match in three sets. Following her victory, she told reporters that she hadn’t spent too much time envisioning her win; rather, she told herself to “get out of her head.”

“That’s what I did at French [Open],” she explained. “I was envisioning, you know, what would happen if I would win. I think I wanted it too much.” She continued, “Last night, I started a little bit, but honestly, I just called my boyfriend, and 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.”

He wants to be an actor…or a musician.

Gauff’s special someone is clearly a creative type. She told Vogue that her mystery man “is about to apply for music school,” but that he also “wants to be an actor.” She also called him a “very nice guy.”

He comes to some of her tournaments.

Gauff opened up about finding “balance” in a 2024 interview with People.

“There are times, yes, I do feel homesick and feel overwhelmed,” she told the publication. “But I am thankful that my parents are able to travel with me a lot, so they help a lot.”

Along with her parents,