US OPEN

September 4, 2022

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/Zhang Shuai

7-5, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Two tough sets, two hours on the court. We move on.

COCO GAUFF: Yes.

THE MODERATOR: Would you assess your performance today.

COCO GAUFF: I thought the match was very high quality. I feel like I was saying to my coach I feel like I got no free points in that match. Same with her, I don't think I was giving away any free points, despite the double-faults.

I'm super happy with how I played. It was mentally and physically a tough match. But I think that shows all the practice is coming together.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Wondering how you as a young player go about making expectations for yourself in terms of saying I am young, these things are going to come naturally, cutting yourself some slack, but on the other side saying I want to be No. 1 in the world, win a Grand Slam?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, honestly it's just taking it one match at a time. That's the best way to go about it. I feel like when you focus too much on a goal, it kind of can consume you a little bit.

So I think right now I'm just taking it one match at a time.

Q. You mentioned your practice paying off. Going back on the court after a match, what's the strategy? Are you thinking about Garcia already?

COCO GAUFF: No, we're not thinking about the next opponent after the match. Really it's just to work on anything. I mean, there's some days you feel great about a shot, and there's some days you don't. Then you go back and fix it.

I mean, well, today, I don't even know what we did, we just served really. Sometimes it's just about it's more so also like the mental fitness of it all. I feel like practicing afterwards has prepped me mentally for these long matches because I'm finishing a match, whether it's an easy win or a tough win or a tough loss, coming back out I think mentally is preparing me to play these second weeks.

To be honest, as I've played Grand Slams, I've noticed that physically it's never a problem for me, it's more about doing the mental with the press, just dealing with everything.

I feel like French Open I proved to myself that I can do it. I practiced after a lot of matches in French Open. It's been working for me so I keep going.

Q. You're so animated out there. I think more so than in Paris. The Mutombo thing. I don't know what you want to call it.

COCO GAUFF: That was supposed to be a period, like City Girls period. City Girls. It's a City Girl Summer period. That's what it is. JT, Yung Miami, you don't know?

Q. I'm 53 years old.

COCO GAUFF: It's like period (laughter). I got my long nails. It's supposed to be like that (laughter).

Q. Is that you feeding off the crowd or is it planned?

COCO GAUFF: It's feeding off the crowd. I told my team after the match, For some reason I'm so much more animated. I found like a chill.

I think it's balancing the both. It's the crowd really. Sometimes when you're playing on a smaller court, not even a smaller court, because French is Chatrier. I feel like it's not as loud. You can hear yourself scream.

I find that awkward for myself. Here I can't hear myself scream. Makes me want to do it more. I think I'm feeding off the momentum a lot. I enjoy it. I think New York is bringing out a side of me that I haven't had since I was 15, so it's nice.

Q. Let me ask, if you could describe what the atmosphere and sound of the crowd was like for you out there today. Is it different from what you're used to in the tennis world?

COCO GAUFF: Way different. I was, like, saying on the 6-5 changeover, people were saying, Let's go, Coco. I was literally trying not to smile. Well, I guess I could have ended up smiling. My coach says I need to smile more often. I could have.

I was, like, I've got to stay in the zone. Inside I was trying my hardest not to smile. This is a surreal moment for me, on Arthur Ashe Stadium people are chanting my game. I feel like I'm at an NBA game.

That's a special thing about tennis. You go to a football game or an NBA game, people are chanting the team's name. That's great as a player. For you to have the whole crowd chanting your name specifically is something I won't take for granted.

Q. Is there a challenge at all to stay focused, stay in the moment, not let that distract you at all? Or maybe that's not even a worry.

COCO GAUFF: I think it depends on the player.

For me though, I just feed off of it. I think it helps me more. I mean, for some players, they prefer a more chill, relaxed environment. For me, if anyone has seen me play, I like to get pumped up. The New York crowd seems to like it to.

When the moment is right, sometimes I don't even know what my reaction is going to be after I win a point. I wasn't thinking about Mutombo when I did that. I feel like a wall out there, she was running me so much. It's like, You can't get past me today. CG1s.

Q. You next play one of the hottest players, if not the hottest player, on the tour right now. What are your observations of her game and your experiences in facing her that might affect this next match?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, she's obviously a great player, even though she's had ups and downs. I think right now she's playing probably the best tennis -- I don't know. I think she's playing the best tennis she's played in a long time.

It's going to be a challenge. When you play these players that are hot, I think it's more of a mental challenge. You just got to accept she's going to hit some great shots, because I know she will.

I think my mentality has been great. I played I feel like two similar opponents, Maddie Keys, who can hit some unbelievable shots from the wings. Same with Shuai today. She was hitting some great shots. I think I was doing a good job of accepting it, clapping my hands, moving on to the next point. I think I'm going to have to do that for the next match.

Q. Anything you remember from facing her before?

COCO GAUFF: Last time we played was in Doha. To be honest, I probably have to go back and watch. I feel like that's so long ago.

I think it's more so I have to watch her recent matches. Like I said, I think she's just a different player from when I played her in Doha. I don't remember what time of the season that was, but earlier this year.

Q. Obviously you're here to play a tournament. On a regular basis you weigh in on different topics that you're interested in. Do you want to answer, if you saw the comments from Victoria Azarenka two days ago about coaches/players relationships, that they're on the left and right, difficult relationships between coaches and players. Obviously Fiona Ferro, the French player, her difficult story. I want to know your opinions on that, if you have an opinion, from the last two, three years on tour, what did you see maybe?

COCO GAUFF: Well, I didn't see Vika's comments so I don't want to comment on that.

But I did hear about Fiona's story. I think for me, well, I want to say it takes a lot of courage to speak out about something like that for something so personal. I think the reason why she spoke out, I feel like she probably had to process it herself, get through it herself. I think by her speaking out creates more awareness of it.

I would say me personally, I didn't notice anything, like, in that type of way. I feel like if I did, I would definitely say something. I think it's unfortunate, the situation.

But I wish her all the best and I hope that the situation doesn't repeat, you know, because I feel like it's a lot in tennis sometimes that it happens.

The coaching relationship in tennis I feel like is different than other sports. It's a lot more personal. So I feel like with her, I think I only can say I hope she's doing well now, and I want to say kudos to her for speaking out about it. I always say you never know what somebody else is going through. I hope that her message reaches somebody who might have gone through the same situation.

Q. Azarenka was saying players are being exploited right and left on the story.

COCO GAUFF: I don't really understand the comments like that, so I don't want to comment on it. That's the only thing. It's not me running away. I just don't understand what she said exactly.

Q. Wanted to ask you, sometimes in this sport we've seen where athletes who have success when they're young, it becomes overwhelming. We've seen Naomi Osaka struggle with some of that. How have you managed to stay on seemingly a more even keel? Is it support group around you? Family?

COCO GAUFF: I think it really comes down to my family. I feel like they never really put pressure on me to do anything. I'm not saying that other players... I just feel like in my head, it's been a process with me.

I think for sure I felt the pressure. For sure I felt, you know, the expectations. But I also think it's in my head stepping on the court, I feel like all of that goes away. I'm just lucky that I'm able to find that mindset.

It took me a while to find it. Like I said, Madrid was a breakthrough moment for me. I think it's all about every player's journey, personal journey. Yeah, just really depends on your personal journey. What works for me probably won't work for somebody else.

I hope I can stay in this mindset, but I can't speak for the future.

Q. Two great rallies late in the first set, the second set. Is that a thing that maybe two years ago here you wouldn't have been able to come back in both sets? Is that maturation of you in a Grand Slam?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, definitely. I think it's definitely being mature. I always realize the importance of every point. Even sometimes if you lose a set, like, if you come back from 4-1 and give that person a hard time, it mentally does something to the other player.

I just try my best to fight for every point. I think I was always fighting for every point, but I think I'm doing it in a smarter way. I think that just comes from learning from the same mistake over and over and over again.

All I can do is keep learning. Hopefully I can keep getting better at it.

Q. You have played every match this tournament on Ashe. Are you getting comfortable playing in that kind of environment, especially today? Is this the atmosphere you dreamed about as a kid?

COCO GAUFF: Definitely. I would say I am getting more comfortable. The first couple times on Ashe, I was very nervous.

I don't know, I was really shocked. My first round I was shocked that I was being put on Ashe. Then happened again the second round. At that point I figured maybe it would keep happening, especially when Serena was playing. This must be like a perfect lineup for viewers. You have me playing first, closing out with the G.O.A.T. That's crazy.

It's always been a thing with me, I feel like, when I look at the order of play, I see I'm playing in front of Roger, Rafa or Serena or Novak, I get a little more nervous. I know they know how I'm doing because they have to get ready after me. That's why it makes me more nervous.

I am saying I'm getting more comfortable playing on the bigger courts.

Q. What is the best part of being on the tour, being Coco? What's the downside?

COCO GAUFF: I would say the best part is definitely just experiencing, like, personal reactions with people when you meet them. I think every time it just makes me take a step back. I feel like I never want to take this for granted, especially with the kids.

I remember, like, yeah, I think it was after my third-round match, she started crying after I signed her ball. I gave her a hug. It just like almost brought me to tears, too. It's just like, I don't know, I never thought I would have such an impact on a person. I know it's multiple people now. That's the best part.

Honestly, there's some downsides. You know you're losing a lot every week (smiling). But I think the ups outweigh the bad. I guess the only downside is I miss so many concerts at home. I miss The Weeknd, I missed Bad Bunny. I missed so many concerts. That's the only downside.

Q. Your regular doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, plays tomorrow. Can you talk about your relationship, what it would be like to compete at this tournament?

COCO GAUFF: If we compete, that means we're both in the final. That would be great. I would definitely love that.

Yeah, Jessica has been great. I mean, she doesn't probably realize, but I've learned a lot from her from her mentality on the court. We all know she's probably one of the most relaxed, chill players on the tour. She doesn't get too high or down emotionally. I try to model that a little bit.

It's been great playing with her. It didn't go our way this tournament. I have fun on the court. But it would be pretty cool to have an all-American final. I don't want to look that far ahead.

Q. Who is better, Bad Bunny or The Weeknd?

COCO GAUFF: I like The Weeknd a little bit better (laughter). But being from Miami, Bad Bunny is great, too.

Q. The women's tour is incredibly deep right now, the quality of play is phenomenal. In the time you've been on tour, have you seen that improvement in even just a couple of years?

COCO GAUFF: Well, I don't know. I feel like it's a hard question for me to answer. Growing up watching the tour on TV, the quality looked really great for me.

But I definitely think being on tour and playing more matches - I would speak more so in my junior experience - I would say the first couple rounds in juniors, I wouldn't say easy, but you know you're going to win pretty straightforward. I feel on the professional tour it's not.

I think the thing that makes the WTA Tour special is that when you have somebody like one No. 1 in the world playing somebody ranked No. 100 in the world, people are watching and thinking, The No. 1 player is going to automatically win. It's more like, She has a shot, she has a chance.

I think that's what makes tennis fun because you never know what's going to happen. I think that's what makes it enjoyable for me. Every day you come up and are ready for the challenge no matter what the ranking is, what the situation is. I think that's what makes tennis enjoyable for everybody.