You may be used to seeing Coco Gauff trade shots before glancing toward her box for support from her family. But there’s another person who has quietly been part of her life off the court: actor Jalen Sera, whom Gauff has reportedly been dating for the past few years. The American rarely discusses their relationship, though she has previously hinted at how supportive he has been. However, her latest social media activity has raised questions about whether everything is still smooth sailing in Gauff’s dating life.

Gauff reshared a series of TikTok posts on her account that hint towards a breakup. One post reads, “spoke so highly of you and you embarrassed tf outta me,…I was so heartbroken when I saw him on followpeek.com #cheater #ex #relationships #redflag.” The American also shared another video, which read, “lol nobody talks about how you feel once you get cheated on by a mf who was healing you.”

If the recent posts are anything to go by, fans started speculating that Gauff’s personal life is no longer in a healthy position. Many on social media showed their support and expressed concern for Gauff’s mental well-being. The American did not name anyone, leaving fans confused about who the posts targeted.

As long as Gauff and Sera’s relationship is concerned, they have known each other since childhood, with Gauff’s mother, Candi, even teaching Jalen at school. In a Time interview, Gauff recalled her mother’s advice about Sera and confessed, “My mum always said, if they’re bad in school, they’re probably bad as adults… He’s always been a smart, nice kid.”

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The two didn’t start dating until 2023, with Gauff describing it as her “first real relationship.” She explained, “To just have someone to talk to who is not involved in tennis at all gives me a fresh perspective.” Gauff has also spoken about the support she gets from Sera, regardless of how her matches unfold.

In an interview with E!, she said: “Honestly after a good match, I just talk to my boyfriend. He’s always telling me to trust the process. Just know that I’ve already accomplished a lot, and there’s no need to be so negative.” While the reposts on her TikTok didn’t really confirm her relationship status with Sera, the recent results in Toronto suggest that Gauff has been in form but still struggling to find a title this season.

Gauff made a flying start in Toronto, as she won 6-2, 7-5 against Kayla Day in the second round, having received a first-round bye. She then faced Maria Sakkari in the next round and won another convincing match 6-1, 6-4, despite the Greek player having a close head-to-head against her. In the fourth round, she won 6-3, 6-1 against Alina Korneeva, who was having her breakout run in Toronto.

Gauff won via walkover against Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals, as the Swiss withdrew due to injury. This pitted the fourth seed against Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, which marked the end of Gauff’s campaign.

Coco Gauff Loses in the Semifinal of the Canadian Open

Gauff went up against Elena Rybakina in the Canadian Open semifinals, with the duo playing a match after four years, with their only head-to-head contest coming at the same event. Gauff won that time, and the American started strong against the Kazakh in a close first set. The 22-year-old saved three break points of her own before getting the decisive break in the twelfth game to win the first set 7-5.

However, Rybakina responded strongly in the second set, breaking Gauff’s serve twice to win it 6-2. Even though the Kazakh was putting only 36 percent of her first serves in, she did not face a single break point in the set, as she won over 70 percent of the points on her second serve.

The momentum was clearly with Rybakina, who kept the foot on the pedal in the third set, breaking Gauff’s serve two more times, to win it 6-2 as well. The American did have a couple of break points in the third set, but could not convert on the opportunities.

The win pits Rybakina against Iga Swiatek in the final, while Gauff will head to Cincinnati in hopes of another deep run to get in proper form ahead of the US Open. Despite the loss, Gauff’s form in Toronto will give her confidence, as her serve held for the most part, and, even against Rybakina, she made only three double faults, which has been a huge concern for her in the past.

The Canadian Open was the first event for Gauff since the Wimbledon semifinal loss against Karolina Muchova, where the American had a match point. Overall, she has a 34-13 win-loss record this season, having runner-up finishes at 1000 events in Miami and Rome.