Athletic talent clearly runs deep in the Gauff family. While Coco Gauff is making headlines with her deep run at the Italian Open, defeating Cîrstea a few hours ago, her younger brother, Codey Gauff, is proving he has plenty of his own star power on the baseball diamond.
Codey was recently awarded MVP honors by Elite Squad Baseball, a premier organization renowned for developing top-tier collegiate and professional talent, and his family celebrated the major milestone in style.
Coco Gauff Celebrates Brother Codey Gauff After Elite Squad Baseball MVP Award
Taking a brief pause before her semifinal match, Coco took to Instagram to hype up her younger brother. She shared an edited graphic pic of Codey seated on a throne, clad in a fur-lined coat, surrounded by a pack of wolves, and holding a baseball bat and a Wilson fielder’s mitt.
Coco shared the “King of the North” Game of Thrones-style image with a simple caption:
“ayeee mvp @codeygauff 🔥🔥🔥
Coco and Codey’s mother, Candi Gauff, also commented, praising the entire team’s effort before singling out her son: “You guys worked hard. Special shout to Codey. I love you!”
Codey is a standout baseball prospect who officially signed to play Division I baseball for the University of Missouri (Mizzou) Tigers in 2026. As a switch-hitting catcher, he is recognized for his powerful throws and is a Top 100 MLB prospect and a standout catcher in his age group, per 2024 scouting reports.
Codey and Coco’s high-level success is all thanks to their parents, Corey Gauff and Candi. Corey played Division I collegiate basketball as a guard at Georgia State University. He later transitioned into a coaching role for Coco, although tennis is not his primary sport.
Candi, a former elite athlete herself, excelled in track and field as a hurdler and heptathlete at Florida State University. Coco’s youngest brother, the 12-year-old Cameron, created a new colorway for his sister’s signature sneaker style with New Balance.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old American just punched her ticket to the Rome finals following a stellar victory over veteran 36-year-old Cîrstea in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. The Romanian entered the semi-final after a spectacular run that included pulling off the tournament’s biggest shocker: knocking out world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round. With the win, Gauff beat Cîrstea for the second time in a month. Coco is just one match away from conquering the Italian Open, and she will face either Iga Swiatek or Elina Svitolina.
