QATAR TOTAL ENERGIES OPEN

February 11, 2024

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Coco, can you just tell us how it feels to be back here in Doha?

COCO GAUFF: I'm really happy to be back here in Doha. Did well here in doubles the last couple years, so hopefully do well in singles here.

Not playing doubles this year unfortunately, but I'm really excited to continue to do well here in the Middle East, have a great time here.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You are not afraid to tell your ideas. How important is it for you to inform yourself about the facts of the world to try to do something beyond tennis?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think for me it's always important to speak up if there is issues that I care about. For me, being a tennis player, it's second, third, fourth, fifth to who I am as a person. I always try to keep, you know, God first, family and friends, tennis, and community -- you know, friends, family, and community before tennis.

So, yeah, I think it's important that I continue to just speak up and be a voice for the voiceless.

Q. I want to ask about the schedule, because for you guys who live in North America, it can be pretty far. You have to go back to America for Indian Wells and Miami. So schedule-wise, how is that for you? It's okay for you?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, it's weird, but also, at the same time, the tour doesn't revolve around Americans, so I can't complain about the long flights. It definitely doesn't revolve around us.

So it would be cool in fact if every tournament was in the U.S., but no, I mean, honestly the flights aren't too bad for me right now. I'm young. But I think anything over eight hours all kind of feels the same. Regardless, going to Europe or here, pretty much feels the same. I'm falling asleep anyway.

Yeah, some people stayed in Australia and came straight here. The world doesn't revolve around Americans. I have no problem following the tour. Yeah, I am really excited for the U.S. swing, though. I think that is where I have the most fun on tour.

Q. As you just said, you are kind of like representing or you always talk about representing females and, like, minority people. Do you think that playing in, like, this kind of Middle East area can, you can give any messages or you can feel any connection from the spectators or especially young female girls who like to play sports or whatever?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I definitely feel when I play in places where there are more minorities, it does feel truthfully like a connection, and we all have different struggles in the world, depending on our race or background.

Hopefully it is something we can connect on, being different or being perceived different than how we actually are. So I do, you know, feel a connection a little bit here or just anyplace where I play where, you know, it's more minorities. I feel like I feel that in the crowd here and I feel like when I'm walking around the site here, I feel like people connect with me on that.

You know, even though we are different, we look completely different, but being a minority in the world especially, you know, not so much in the Middle East but in the world, especially when I'm on the Western side of the world, it definitely is understanding.

So I think they understand that, and me being here, definitely I feel that connection. I do feel very welcome with the people here. I think the people are excited to have me here. That just makes me excited to play here.

Q. Can you talk about your training since Australia? Have you been doing something different? Can you also talk about whether Brad is here this week.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, Brad is here. So he is here. He didn't come to Auckland. He will be at most tournaments. Not every single one, but most tournaments. So he is here.

And the focus of the training was definitely working on improving the serve and trying to be more consistent with that.

You know, it's not that much time been Australia and now, so I can't improve -- you can always improve but not as big, drastic in a week and a half of training. I did just try to focus on the points on my serve and overall on my game.

Q. When you look back on Australia, I just wonder if you look back and say, Okay, that was good, or if it still means...

COCO GAUFF: Honestly, I do look at it, Okay, that was good. I kind of hate myself that I do that because it is a great accomplishment to make it to a semifinal of a Grand Slam, and people sometimes only do that once in their lives. So I am trying to celebrate myself more, but it is hard to do that.

You know, you have your goals, a big trophy, and you're close and you don't get it. Yeah, but I do feel like it was a great, positive tournament for me. I think I'm on the road to hopefully winning another one and continuing to improve.

Yeah, I'm trying to, you know, make it as big a deal which is cool to think about how, like, a couple years ago that would be, like, a huge deal for me and now it's not. I don't know if it's a good thing or not. But I am trying to make sure that I keep celebrating myself and not get too caught up on just the trophy, that there are little wins along the way.

Q. If you hadn't done so good in tennis, what would you be doing now? Another sport?

COCO GAUFF: I feel like now would be too late to start another sport if I wasn't good. Right now, I'm 19, so I really don't want to give up on the tennis dream yet at 19, but maybe in five years if I still sucked, I would have to go to school -- well, actually I want to do that sooner.

I think at 19 I would know if I had a big future in this or not, so if I was 19 and I wasn't good, I'd definitely be in school right now. But I wouldn't have given up on the sport yet, but honestly, at a certain age I think I would try to make sure I'm able to be successful in other areas of life. Luckily so far tennis has been working out for me, so I don't need to make that decision.

Q. I think you know that Andy Roddick made kind of, like, he gave a kind word to your father.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah.

Q. You know that?

COCO GAUFF: Yes, I did.

Q. Reminds me of the conversation you guys once made on on-court coaching, that you told your dad that...

COCO GAUFF: Yes, I remember that.

Q. So how do you feel about Andy's comment and what kind of dad he is for you?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think that for me it was a great thing that Andy said that, and I'm really happy that he said that, because, you know, in tennis there are situations where parents in general in the past have been not as kind and kind of terrible to their kids.

And I know that they have that stigma. The world in general, especially in America with Black fathers, it's always a thing that Black fathers aren't in their kids' lives or that they are not great leaders or households, great fathers.

So when Andy said that, I think people actually listened, because I always talk about how great my dad is, but some people believe me and some people don't, but my dad is truly a great father. He's done everything to get me where I am, and I'm glad that other people see that, because he's not the type of person to be in the front spotlight. He's not the type of person to try to take anything away from my accomplishments, but he definitely is -- everything I have accomplished is definitely his accomplishments too, because I wouldn't be here without him.

I just am glad a little piece of the world gets to see how great a person he is, because he won't do it, he won't shout from the rooftops how great a person he is. I think it's my job and my brothers' job to make sure the world knows how great he is. And not only him but my mom too. They're truly a team. I wouldn't be here without my mom as well.

I'm grateful to have blessed and great parents. And I'm really glad Andy said kind words about him, especially just with everything going on in this sport, tennis, there are fathers who are a little bit, you know, tough and maybe not the greatest people. So I'm lucky that I got one of the good ones.