ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2022

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/K. Kanepi

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Two matches today, two wins. How are you feeling right now?

COCO GAUFF: Feeling great. I mean, you know, straight-sets wins on round 3 of a Grand Slam is feeling pretty good. I'm glad that, well, singles and doubles, that I think they are both difficult matches in certain moments, and I'm glad that we were able to come on top.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Please talk about singles match. How did you like the conditions? What were the things that gave you the victory?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, this morning when I warmed up it was kind of chilly, so I wasn't sure what the match was going to be like.

I think in mid first set it started to get sunnier. I think that kind of changes the ball speed a little bit, bounces a little bit faster, I think.

I think that really today what came down to it was movement. I think that I needed to get her moving, because when she's like on top of the ball she can really rip, and I think that's what I did well today.

Q. The match with Kanepi was I believe a matter of generations, her being twice your age. Do you hope to have the same level, love and passion for the game when you are that age?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, yeah. I don't know, I haven't looked that far ahead, but for sure, like, I don't know. It's crazy she's 36, I believe, playing at this level. She's still playing really well, good tennis, I think.

Yeah, so hopefully, yeah, if I still want to play, I hope I'm playing at that level. And I'm glad, you know, nowadays it's kind of rare -- you see players finishing or playing their career on their own terms, and I'm glad she's able to play. I assume she's healthy and everything.

Q. There was a funny moment after when Fabrice was interviewing you and he seemed to be saying, you know, What are you doing? You are an American and yet you love the clay. You told him obviously you have been playing since you were 10 years old and you are used to it. What is it about being on the clay that makes you so comfortable? Is it the way the ball bounces? Do you love to slide? What specifically do you think it does to sort of give you advantages which might not be obvious to some people?

COCO GAUFF: I think for me, I mean, the movement. I mean, it's one of my strengths on other surfaces, but I think clay only enhances that. I really enjoy sliding. I think it helps me recover faster after I get to the ball.

Then also, I mean, I played pretty heavy on my forehand, so I think that clay bounces the ball up even higher.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

Q. I think I'm right in saying there are 11 former junior French Open champions in the draw. Is there anything unique about winning the juniors here that means you are going to have success as a pro? Is it something to do with the clay that just seems to be that link?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, I think for sure like just having, I guess, the memory of finishing a tournament here and playing seven matches here definitely helps.

But I think in general, like, any junior slam champion, I think, you know, you know you have what's in you. Obviously it's completely different playing in the pro, but I think you know what it's like to play seven matches on a big stage.

I think that's what really helped me a lot, playing juniors, finishing those tournaments and knowing what it's like to play long tournaments in both singles and doubles.

Q. Some players will talk about, as they return to an event where they have done particularly well, that they get nervous or feel pressure because they are worried about the points and doing just as well the next year. You had a lot of success here a year ago. I'm wondering, does that come into your mind at all?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, I know it gives me confidence. I don't think about it like that, just because I don't care about defending points or anything really. The goal always is to lift the trophy.

I feel like I'm going to be just as disappointed -- you know, obviously you don't want to lose first round, but still, after my quarterfinal match last year, I was really disappointed about it and almost even probably even more disappointed than I was when I lost first round Australian Open this year.

Playing, I mean, I think it just gives me more confidence because I know what I'm capable of at this tournament and I think I'm a better player than I was last year. I think I can go even further.

Q. In general, how much attention do you pay to your ranking?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, not really. I mean, you know, you go in a tournament, you know you're seeded, but for me, ranking is not important at all. It helps, you do want to get ranked high. But even when I was younger, when I was junior No. 1, like I didn't know I was even close to being No. 1, I saw on Instagram I was No. 1, and I told my dad, I didn't even know that was a question for that.

It's not something I look at. It's more so I prefer to, you know, win the tournaments and, you know, the ranking comes with it.

Q. Your thoughts on your next match against Mertens. You have been to this stage of the tournament before, quarters last year. How do you feel you're setting up for the second week?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think that now I feel like mentally I'm in a better place than I was last year, coming into the second week I think sometimes that's what makes Grand Slams harder is because it is two weeks and there is no other way to prepare for two weeks of playing.

I think going into my next match, I played her before, and I think I'm a lot more relaxed than going into my fourth-round match last year. I think I'm a lot more prepared to play two weeks of tennis.

Q. What are the keys against her specifically?

COCO GAUFF: I think against her, for me, I played her a lot in doubles and singles, and she can strike the ball pretty well.

But I think if I can maybe play just a different variety that it will help me during that match.

Q. You're just at the start of your career. After your singles match today, you also joked that it doesn't really feel like a proper job. Why did you say it doesn't feel like a job? If you had to go out and get a "proper job," what do you think it would be and why?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think it doesn't feel like a job, because, I don't know, when I think of job, at least in the U.S., I think a 9:00 and 5:00 and people are dreading to go to work. I don't dread what I do.

Obviously there is people in the world that love their jobs and there is a lot of people that don't like their jobs. I'm lucky my job is something I love to do, so I don't view it as a job.

If I didn't, I don't know, I thought when I was younger I always wanted to be a marine biologist, and as I got older I realized how much schoolwork that needs to do, so I kind of scratched that out.

But, yeah, I would say I would pick a marine biologist or sports psychologist but both of those fields take a lot of years in college, and I'm not committed to that (smiling).

Q. A question about the clay here specifically at Roland Garros. You played on clay all over Europe, all over the world, the red clay. Is there something special about it? Is there some kind of quality to it you like or sets it apart from the other red clay you play on?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, well, first, every court here, it's rare that you get a bad bounce or anything compared to other clay courts. I kind of like the pace here. It's not too fast, not too slow.

I know in the past, at least from viewing old TV, it looked a little bit slower. But I feel like now as the years have gone on I think it's gotten faster, and I think I like the speed it's at right now.

I don't know. I just like it here. I just like the clay here. I don't think there is any better clay in the world, in my opinion. I haven't played everywhere, but in the tournaments I have played, I think moving here and playing here, I think this is probably the best it gets.