Coco Gauffhas offered rare insight into her relationship with boyfriend Jalen Sera, describing the qualities that make him a standout partner in her life as she labels his patience with her as key to their dynamic.
While many high-profile athletes face challenges in balancing personal and professional spheres, Gauff credits her man’s ability to give her time and space as central to their connection as she chases grand slam glory.
Additionally, unlike other relationships within tennis circles, Sera‘s career as an aspiring actor keeps him outside the sport, providing her a fresh lens beyond the pressures of professional tennis.
She has emphasized that Sera’s independence from tennis allows him to offer a unique perspective on her life, free from the high-stakes tension of the tour. Gauff‘s admiration for his character extends beyond his career.
Her mother, Candi, who also happened to be Sera‘s fourth-grade teacher, has long endorsed him and the 21-year-old has echoed this sentiment in her own reflections, highlighting traits that define him as a “green flag” partner.
“When they listen…,” Gauff joked when asked about her desired green flags. “Patience.
“I know I can be like, very much want things done my way. So my boyfriend’s a really patient person.
“I told him, ‘Let’s talk until it’s time to go to sleep,’ so we spoke until 1:00 a.m. and then I went to sleep.”
She recalled the moment before her US Open final two years ago, when she called Sera late at night to avoid overthinking her performance proving one example of how he supports her.
Beyond his patience, Gauff has frequently praised Sera for his charm and despite the rigors of professional tennis, she appears grounded in her relationship with him.
Coco Gauff exits Cincinnati Masters after Jasmine Paolini defeat
Gauff‘s run at the Cincinnati Open ended in disappointment after a hard-fought loss to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini as the top American, ranked No. 2 in the world, fell 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Gauff started strongly, taking the first set 6-2, but struggled to maintain momentum as her rival mounted a determined comeback, showing off her steely spirit and determination.
The 29-year-old rolled her ankle early in the second set, but shrugged off the discomfort and broke Gauff‘s serve to even the match. She then went on to seven points in a row in the final set and secured 12 of the last 15 points to close out the victory.
“It was so tough,” Paolini admitted post-match. “At the beginning, I was just running and trying to put the ball inside the court.
“But after a little bit, I started to feel better the ball. I stayed there every point, I tried to fight every point, and it worked.”
Paolini will face Veronika Kudermetova next in the Cincinnati Open semifinals as Russia’s Kudermetova advanced to the semifinals after defeating Varvara Gracheva.
The pair have played each other three times in the past with the woman from Kazan winning all three encounters, although they haven’t met on the court in almost five years (2021) so it’s very much a fresh match-up.
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