PHOENIX — When asked what subject he knows more about than any other player at the MLB Draft Combine, Codey Gauff couldn\u2019t help but smirk.<\/p>\n
\u201cTennis,\u201d he said as his hands started to lift in a stating-the-obvious shrug. \u201cWell, I\u2019ll just say sports, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Draft prospect, sports — especially tennis — isn\u2019t just a hobby, it\u2019s a family business. Gauff\u2019s grandfather, Eddie \u201cRed\u201d Odom Jr., played three seasons of Minor League ball, his mother, Candi, was a heptathlete at Florida State, his dad, Corey, played basketball at Georgia State, and his sister, Coco, is ranked seventh in the world in women\u2019s tennis. Not to mention younger brother, Cameron, plays football.<\/p>\n
That pedigree fostered a place for not only competitive drive to cultivate but also smack talk to thrive.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way we go at each other, you would think we\u2019re not related,\u201d the 18-year-old said.<\/p>\n
But as competitive as they are, the Gauff family is there for each other one way or another. When Codey announced he was committing to the University of Missouri on National Signing Day, his family was in attendance, and his sister shared her pride on social media.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat’s kind of our bond,\u201d he said. \u201cIt doesn’t matter how many followers she has or how much fame I have, that’s just how close we\u2019ve been since we were young. We were taught to be your siblings’ biggest supporter. So that’s what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while managing multiple sports schedules can be tough for any family, let alone one with a professional athlete, Codey\u2019s parents always make sure he feels supported too.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they’re not there, they try to have my grandparents go, or somebody, a family member, just somebody to be in the stands,\u201d he said. \u201cI know it’s hard because all of us play sports, so you can only be so many places at a time, but they do a very good job of just always trying to be as present as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Up until the COVID-19 pandemic, Gauff was splitting his time between baseball and football. But with extended down time, he realized baseball was the path for him.<\/p>\n