MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 25, 2024

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GARCIA/C. Gauff

6-3, 1-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Coco, can you talk us through the match.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, the match basically was an up-and-down match. She played aggressive, which I knew coming in. I think it was really important for me to just change the height of the ball, and I did that well for the majority of the second set.

Then starting off the third with an early break I think just completely changed the momentum.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Coco, not the result you were looking for, but can you take positives away from this? I mean, Miami loves you; you love Miami. Can you learn from this? Can you take some positives from this moving forward as the season goes forward?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I definitely think I can. This is a tough loss. I do think one positive is the serve. You know, I got broken a lot today. I don't think it was because of my serving. I went from hitting 17 double faults in Indian Wells to I think only, like, two or three today. So I think that's something that can continue to improve, but it did in a short amount of time.

Q. It seems a lot of players sort of struggle to win the tournament they most want to. I mean, Iga has lost in Warsaw. I mean, it happens. What's the experience like? Do you feel extra pressure when you're playing in this place, the same way Frances sort of feels in Washington?

COCO GAUFF: Not really, no. I think honestly it's just tough matches over the years. I mean, I feel like I know how to play with home pressure, especially after the whole U.S. swing last year, so I didn't feel any nerves coming in today or at all this week.

I actually felt really good, because I felt like I didn't play that well in Indian Wells. Then coming here, my first two matches were good. And even today, the level could have been better, so I don't think it had anything to do with being home.

Q. Does it sting a little bit more because you would see this as your home tournament?

COCO GAUFF: Yes and no. I think I'm the type of person every loss kind of weighs on me heavy, especially one like today where I felt like I could have done better and I felt like I had the match in control, especially after the second.

Honestly, if anything, it kind of helps being home so I can just drive and be home and be in my own bed (smiling).

Q. What's next for you? I think clay season is coming up. Are you excited for that, a surface that you're pretty good on?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I am excited. I wish I could have did better this hard court season, but I am excited for clay. I'm playing Stuttgart as of right now, and then obviously Madrid, Rome, and French Open.

Q. I just want to ask you, just overall, you know you had your great quote in terms of putting water on your fire, putting more gas... Did you ever consider how that quote of yours would have grown on so many people, would have inspired so many people?

COCO GAUFF: No, it kind of came up on the spot (smiling). No, I didn't have anything planned to say afterwards. I'm glad that people can relate to what I say. I don't know. It related to me, and I feel like it could relate to a lot of people.

You know, at the end of the day you choose what you're going to -- you can't control what people throw at you with the comments and everything, but you can control what you do with, how you react to it. Yeah, I try to react to it in a way that will make me better.

Q. You said it's great to be home and you're going to go drive home after this match. You have a wonderful and supportive family, your grandmother and everyone. Are you going to spend time talking about this match at all or do you just kind of chill, clear it out, and then just get back to work and talk to Brad Gilbert and your team? How do you handle it?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I usually just talk with my team. I love my family, but I don't think they could give me any advice for on the court.

Yeah, I just talk about it with my team. Yeah, that goes for every match, though.