It’s been only three days since Coco Gauff was left long-faced following her loss to Naomi Osaka at the 2025 US Open. “After the match I was really disappointed. Kind of broke down to my team,” the 21-year-old American star admitted after her Flushing Meadows heartbreak. But even before she got the chance to recuperate, Gauff has been handed yet another blow to her gut. This time, far away from the tennis court.

Coco has been in a relationship with musician and actor Jalen Sera since 2023. The couple has kept the fans going “aww,” with their lovey-dovey romance. However, in a post on Instagram from September 4, Sera shared how he suffered a tragic personal loss recently. “RIP Granddaddy…see you on the other side, and be cool,” Gauff’s beau wrote in his IG post, sharing a number of snaps of himself, his late grandfather, and other family members.

Naturally, Coco had to make sure Jalen wasn’t left alone in these troubled times. In the comment section of Sera’s post, Gauff came forward with her support, not with words, but with three heart emojis, underscoring how she will be sure to keep her hand on her boyfriend’s shoulder so he doesn’t have to face the ordeal alone. Gauff’s mother, Candi, also commented with a couple of praying emojis under Jalen’s post.

“Thank you for being a constant example of kindness. Thank you for always being there for all of us and supporting our dreams wholeheartedly,” Sera fondly remembered how his grandfather was one of the biggest cheerleaders for his music career. He went on, “You blessed me with 23 years of absolutely nothing but genuinely great memories. And I will cherish them forever,” as Gauff’s boyfriend joked he would waste no time raiding his grandfather’s record collection.

Over their relationship, Jalen and Gauff have always shown up with vehement support for each other. When the 2025 Australian Open winner donated $100,000 to the UNCF to establish the Coco Gauff Scholarship Program and help black college students get more chances at pursuing their tennis passion, Sera took to social media to hail the former with a one-word message. “Impact,” he wrote, noting with poise how proud he was of the WTS star for giving back to the community.

Sera frequently uses such one-word exclamations to gush about his beau. When Gauff attended the 2025 Oscars in March, Jalen shared a pic of the tennis sensation in her yellow Miu Miu attire with the caption “Regal.” Then, celebrating Gauff’s Italian Open semifinal win, Sera once again took to social media to praise her, “Warrior.”

Moreover, during an interview with E! recently, Gauff also revealed that Jalen is the only person who can comfort her after a loss. “Honestly after a good match, I just talk to my boyfriend, my friends, everyone ’cause I’m in a good mood. When I lose, I would say just my boyfriend ’cause he is the only one that can take me and my mood after a loss,” she said. With Sera never failing to stand behind her, it was natural that Coco would try to return the favor, especially when the former is going through one of the toughest times in his life.

However, Sera isn’t the only person who tried to make sure that Gauff didn’t go astray after her US Open loss.

An introspective Coco Gauff eyes a comeback

Just before the 2025 US Open, Coco partnered up with Gavin MacMillan to help improve her serve. The former coach of Aryna Sabalenka’s onboarding, many suspected, would generate great results for the 21-year-old at Flushing Meadows. However, in all four matches that Gauff played in New York over the past few days, her serve looked shaky. In the match against Donna Vekic in the second round of the tournament, Gauff was visibly emotional as she kept fumbling. The situation didn’t improve, and experts knew exactly what was the reason behind Coco’s US Open exit.

“When you don’t serve well like Coco, it starts to bleed into every aspect of your game. You put so much pressure on your forehand, your backhand, your movement, and today it just kind of broke down,” the retired British tennis star Steve Johnson noted. But with the dust slowly settling down, the American prodigy has gained significant support from her peers. Icons like Lindsey Vonn assured Gauff that her feelings of pride for the latter despite tough US Open luck remained unscathed.

The only way now is forward, and Gauff knows she will not stop before she rises up again. “I am not going to let this crush me. It’s been a tough post-French Open for me, for sure. I know the improvements that I need to make, and I feel like I’m making the right decision by making them,” she said after her loss to the Japanese star. But will Jalen be there once again to hold her hand through the tedious journey? What do you think?