Coco Gauff shared a heartwarming photo with her grandfather, Eddie ‘Red’ Odom, to wish him on his birthday. The American tennis star is competing in the Wuhan Open after her recent China Open title win.
Gauff comes from a family of athletes. Her father, Corey, played Division I basketball at Georgia State University, while her mother, Candi, competed as a Division I track and field athlete at Florida State University.
Interestingly, sports have even deeper roots in Gauff’s family, going back to her grandparents’ generation. Her grandfather, Odom, was a passionate baseball fan.
He and his wife, Yvonne, founded the Delray Beach American Little League, which played a key role in bringing baseball to children in predominantly Black neighborhoods.
On Odom’s birthday, Gauff took to her Instagram to share an image wrapped in a blanket, standing close to her grandfather, who is smiling warmly while wearing a baseball cap. She captioned the image:
“Happy birthday grandad 🙏❤️❤️lol he doesn’t have instagram but any reason to share this picture imma do it.”
Following his significant contributions to Delray Beach, the baseball field at Pompey Park is now named after Gauff’s grandfather, Odom.
Reflecting on his efforts, Odom stated, via WPTV:
“Everyone who knew me on both sides of the track understands my love for baseball.”
“In a way, it’s given me happiness. You can be broke, mad, or facing any difficulties, but when you step into that ballpark, all those worries fade away,” he added.
Coco Gauff’s mother Candi also posted on Instagram to celebrate Odom’s birthday.
“Happy birthday dad!! I love you!” she captioned her post.
Gauff is currently in Wuhan, competing in the final WTA 1000 event of the season. Fresh off her victory in Beijing, where she added 1,000 points to her tally, she now heads into a semifinal battle, aiming to secure another 1,000 points as she continues her strong season-end push.
Coco Gauff to face Aryna Sabalenka or Magdalena Frech in the Wuhan Open 2024 SF
Coco Gauff parted ways with Brad Gilbert after a disappointing 2024 season, which included a fourth-round exit at the US Open. Since hiring Matt Daly as her new coach, the 20-year-old remains undefeated, claiming her first title under him at the China Open.
In Wuhan, Gauff has advanced to the semifinals with straight-set victories over Viktoriya Tomova, Marta Kostyuk, and Magda Linette.
Gauff’s semifinal opponent is yet to be determined, with the winner of the Aryna Sabalenka vs. Magdalena Frech quarterfinal set to face the American. She leads Sabalenka 4-3 in their head-to-head and is 2-0 against Frech.
