DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — The father of Delray Beach teen tennis sensation Coco Gauff has received a very high honor.
Corey Gauff has been named the Touring Coach of the Year by the Professional Tennis Registry.
Gauff, a former Division I college basketball athlete at Georgia State University, helped coach his 15-year-old daughter Coco from being the 579th ranked female tennis player in the world to 51st in just a matter of months.
Last year, Gauff made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon, defeating five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round.
Then just this year, she defeated Williams again in the Australian Open, before losing to Sofia Kenin in the fourth round.
"My dad was like, you're 15 and playing Grand Slams. There are many people who dream of playing them so you should just enjoy yourself. And once you enjoy yourself you'll be able to have good results. I finally listened to him, I guess," Gauff said in an article published by the Women's Tennis Association.