Coco Gauff has stormed into her first Wimbledon quarter-final, where she faces her doubles partner Jessica Pegula on Centre Court on Tuesday. The 22-year-old American star, however, has not registered at Wimbledon under her real name. Her official forename is Cori, but her family came up with the nickname Coco to avoid confusion with her father Corey.
Why Coco Instead of Cori?
Gauff explained the origin of her nickname in previous interviews. "My dad's name is Corey. And so I guess, you know, they didn't want me to get my dad and me confused when my mom is like yelling at one of us in the house," she said. There are two competing stories about the nickname: her aunt claims she coined it, while her dad says he was called "Co" as a child and decided to name his daughter Coco. Gauff humorously notes, "I don't know which story is actually true, but they both get pretty bad if I don't say both of them. I just say that."
Confusion at Hotels and Airports
The dual names cause frequent mix-ups during travel. "Every time I check into hotels or people at the airport, they look at my ID... the person sometimes will recognise me and they'll be like, 'Wait, are you Coco?' I'm like, 'Yeah, it's just a nickname. I'm not somebody that looks like her'," Gauff said. She added that hotel staff often cannot find her reservation until she clarifies it is under Coco, not Cori.
Gauff's Wimbledon Journey
Gauff first burst onto the scene at Wimbledon at just 15 years old. Now a two-time Grand Slam champion, she has a wealth of experience as she prepares to face Pegula. "Honestly, it's going to be kind of similar. It will be the third flat hitter I've played in a row. I think the last two matches I've had definitely gave me prep for her," Gauff said. "She's always a tough opponent for me. I think she's really consistent and gets a lot of balls back and can also play really aggressive, too. I think it's just going to be another one of those where I just have to be in it from start to finish."
The match is scheduled as the opening contest on Centre Court at 1:30pm on Tuesday.
