MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 23, 2022

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Give us your thoughts on being here in Miami.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I'm so excited to play this tournament. It's definitely a home tournament for me. I'm just excited to be in front of family and friends. I hope that I can have a good result here.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Probably feels like a long time ago, you played your first WTA match here three years ago. What do you remember about that experience and does everything feel more familiar now or still big and exciting?

COCO GAUFF: I think definitely it still feels big and exciting. From three years ago, yeah, that was my first WTA match. Now I'm seeded, higher ranked and everything. I still think it feels big and stuff.

Yeah, the thing I remember most is playing Caty in that tournament. We were both wild cards. How did we get to play each other first round? That was like a tough three-setter. Every time I play her, it always seems like it's three sets. That's what I remember the most.

Q. Funny you should mention Caty. Your doubles partnership, what makes you two so compatible on the court, successful? Have you been committed to each other now? You've had success with other partners. Are you committed to each other for the whole year, through the US Open where you'll be defending?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, playing with Caty, I think on the court we're obviously very good individual talents. I think what makes us good together is our friendship off the court. For me, I think I do better when I play with people that I spend a lot of time with off the court. Yeah, I think doubles is a time for me to relax a little bit, having somebody out there on the court.

For the commitment, honestly Caty and I just kind of go as we go. We both have different singles schedules right now. Whenever we're playing at the same tournament, we try to play with each other.

The couple times we didn't play with each other was because of different singles schedules. Honestly, we just kind of see how the wind takes us.

Q. As you have greater success in singles, Caty isn't having that kind of success, you are at different tournaments. Could you see yourselves having to split up as partners? Do you think at the US Open you'll still be there no matter what?

COCO GAUFF: I haven't actually talked to her about it. I think for sure US Open, hard court tournaments we're playing the same. Normally in the States she's playing the same tournaments as me.

Yeah, I think Caty is going to have great singles success anyway, so I don't think that will be a problem.

Q. You are an amazing rock star with the fans.

COCO GAUFF: A rock star, okay (laughter).

Q. How do you feel with that?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, I don't consider myself a rock star. I guess, I don't know. I'm glad that people like me. I don't know why they do, but I'm just happy that I guess at some tournaments I'm considered a fan favorite. I guess it's nice. Obviously I love crowd support. When they come support me, I'm always happy and I try my best every time.

Q. Chris Eubanks has ties to Atlanta. What did you learn from his match yesterday?

COCO GAUFF: For me, that was a difficult match for him. For me, I mean, watching him play, I don't know, I just wish I could serve like him all the time and hit a forehand like him.

For me, I think what I learned the most is how he's really aggressive on those short balls, kind of most of the time puts them away.

I've known Chris for a long time. Fun fact, we didn't know each other, but he used to train at the same place I lived at in Atlanta when I was maybe eight, seven years old. That's when I first kind of met him. We didn't really talk until I got on tour, when I was like 15.

Q. With Ash Barty retiring, does that make you think about your own mortality when it comes to tennis?

COCO GAUFF: I haven't thought about retiring anytime soon (laughter). Not about that.

I obviously wish Ash the best. I was definitely surprised this morning when I saw it. I'm glad she was able to retire on her own terms, not due to injury or something. For me, that's what I was the most happy about. I wish her the best in this next chapter.

Q. How did you react to that news? Came out of nowhere. How do you process her walking away at No. 1?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, actually, I can't say that word, I was going to say that's such a savage move. I was going to say something else, but I can't (laughter).

That's such a savage way to leave, I shouldn't say leave, but end your career on that. What sticks out to me the most about Ash, she's such a nice person off the court. Obviously on court we know what a great player she is. But she is such a great person, so I wish her the best. I'm really excited to see what she has. I saw the video. She says she has some things planned. I'm excited to see what career path or things she has planned next.

Q. What do you think causes your enormous appeal as a doubles team? How have you changed personally and as a team since the juniors?

COCO GAUFF: I don't know what the appeal is. Maybe because we're both young. We just have fun on the court. I think for me, when I watch some of our matches back for scouting or whatever, it looks like we're having fun on the court. I think people kind of gravitate to that.

Yeah, I don't know what other question was.

Q. How have you both changed?

COCO GAUFF: Since the juniors? Oh, my gosh. I feel like we've grown as friends. Juniors was our first tournament playing with each other, US Open juniors. We didn't know each other at all, but we knew we were good tennis players, we could have a good shot at winning a junior slam. We did that.

As we've gotten older, we've grown as friends. She's definitely someone I can always talk to on tour and always enjoy playing with her.