Eugenie Bouchard's ex-coach reveals what he really thought about Coco Gauff after seeing her as a 13-year-old

Eugenie Bouchard's former coach talked about how Coco Gauff displayed exceptional skills on the tennis court from the moment she began playing at 13 in 2017. Saviano also shared that Gauff's father, Corey, was her real coach, as he became highly invested in his daughter's development, especially after hearing Saviano's praise.

Coco Gauff was a precocious talent, playing tennis since the tender age of six. At seven, she relocated to Delray Beach with her parents and began training under Gerard Loglo at the New Generation Tennis Academy. She then shifted under the tutelage of Serena Williams' ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou at the latter's eponymous academy and later received guidance from several mentors, including Brad Gilbert, Pere Riba, Matt Daly, and others.

She also trained under the influence of Eugenie Bouchard’s former mentor, Nick Saviano, who welcomed Gauff’s father, Corey, to observe the training sessions. In a recent interview, the high-profile coach reflected on the first time he saw the young prodigy and remembered praising her talent to her parents. He also shared how Corey’s growing involvement in coaching gradually made the experience even more enjoyable.

"When she came out [to his academy], I knew: ‘Okay, this one’s really special’. She was really good. Very disciplined, very respectful, just a wonderful young girl. And I would lavish them [her parents] with praise about her as a character and everything, and her work ethic. And then they’d come out like once a month," he said in an interview with Florida Tennis. “Not that much, but once a month, and they’d film things, and I’d give Corey my thoughts, and then the next year they would come out more. Then, in 2019, Corey came to my office and said I’d like to come out more frequently and help oversee what she’s doing, and we did that for six to eight months up until she did well at Wimbledon. Corey was always the primary coach; I was just assisting, but I really enjoyed that."

At the 2019 Wimbledon, she defeated her childhood idol Venus Williams after entering the tournament as a wildcard.

Coco Gauff vied for title defense at the 2025 WTA Finals but failed to achieve it

Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals 2025 - Day 6 - Source: Getty

Coco Gauff was the champion at the 2024 WTA Finals, becoming the youngest player to win the year-end event since Maria Sharapova in 2004. This year, she fell short of points, giving way to Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka to advance to the semifinals from the Steffi Graf group.

Coco Gauff made strides on the court this year, toppling No.1 Sabalenka to win the Roland Garros title and also earning the Wuhan Open title by defeating fellow US player Jessica Pegula.

Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder