Coco Gauff is set to be one of the biggest attractions at the 2026 US Open. The World No. 4 is chasing the third Grand Slam title of her career and her second in New York. While Gauff has long enjoyed unwavering support from her family, friends, and home crowd, the demand for access to the American star appears to have reached a tipping point.
On Thursday, August 27, Gauff’s mother, Candi, issued a “blunt but necessary” message to their extended family, asking them to stop sending requests for multiple US Open tickets. Her candid response quickly gained attention, with players, including Gauff herself, backing the amusingly direct message.
Coco Gauff Makes Feelings Clear About Mother Candi’s Unfiltered US Open Message to Family
As the world’s highest-paid female athlete, Gauff has built a huge fan base, especially in the USA. Her family and friends have long been among her most vocal supporters, regularly filling the players’ box and cheering her on from the sidelines. But with her popularity continuing to rise, Candi Gauff says the requests from loved ones for US Open tickets have also piled up.
In her public statement, the two-time Grand Slam champion’s mother claimed that she has been inundated with requests for multiple tickets. She firmly turned them down, noting that her daughter is now “grown” and that she has prioritized allocating tickets to her circle of friends.
“I apologize in advance for this blunt but necessary statement,” Candi Gauff wrote on Instagram. “Coco’s guest ticket requests have already been accounted for. Unfortunately, I will not be able to hook you up with a ticket. Please make arrangements to purchase a ticket. Side note, never ask for more than 2 tickets.”
The message caught Coco Gauff’s attention, with the American calling her mother “funny” for her strongly worded response. She also backed her mother’s stance on her Instagram story, agreeing that the constant stream of messages had “stressed out” her parents. The 22-year-old further took aim at the last-minute requests that are often impossible to fulfill.
“I did not know she was posting this. But y’all done stressed my mom and dad out. She’s not wrong, haha. Reposting because NO, I cannot accommodate you and your plus 6 entourage 2 hours before my match,” Gauff wrote.
Lol. Coco Gauff has reacted. And she CANNOT accommodate you and your +6. https://t.co/HCq1AxiamR pic.twitter.com/ySWxdpyjUT
— Tennis updates (@Tennissocial123) August 28, 2026
“Probably one of the funniest posts I’ve ever seen,” said World No. 3 Jessica Pegula. “Say it louder for the people in the back.” Meanwhile, Madison Keys called the message “iconic,” while Danielle Collins wrote, “Honestly, we all need a @candigauff in our lives.”
Gauff heads into the US Open in strong form after winning her second Cincinnati Open title. Incidentally, when she clinched the trophy for the first time in 2023, she went on to win the Grand Slam in New York just weeks later. The American, who stands a chance at becoming the World No. 1 after the tournament, would hope for a similar purple patch this year. She begins her campaign against Zeynep Sönmez in the first round.
