INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 16, 2024

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

I. SWIATEK/C. Gauff

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk through your thoughts on the match today, what was your game plan going in, where did you feel you made inroads today?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, it was a tough match. I thought that I played well majority of the match. It came down to certain moments. Yeah, she came up clutch. She had a lot of balls on the line, close to the line, which is what she does. It just happened at some tough moments for me.

Yeah, that's all I have to say.

Q. In terms of the way that you played, how much confidence do you take? You had a few double-faults here and there. In terms of how you were hitting your forehand, defending her pace into your pace, do you take confidence coming out of that or... Is your emotion coming out of this positive or negative?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, overall I would say from where I started the tournament to where I finished, it's definitely overall a positive. The double-faults, they did come just in that one game. Overall, if I'm going 120 on the serves, I have to expect that.

But overall I would say from just this match, I feel more negative emotions right now. Like, looking at the whole tournament from where I started to now, I definitely feel like it's major improvement.

Against probably anybody else today, I would have won the match.

Q. What is the main thing that you wanted to do today that you feel didn't work that leads to these negative emotions?

COCO GAUFF: I wanted to be aggressive, which I felt like I did. I think I missed some balls in some clutch moments. That's what being aggressive is. I think if I continue to play in this way, I will be more consistent in that.

I wish my first-serve percentage was higher. I was winning a lot of first-serve points and I knew that would be key to win today. I didn't get in as many as I would like to.

Q. In terms of the way that you played today, is that level of aggression on the return, off the baseline as well on both wings, is that something you have as a game plan specifically against her or something that you want to play more consistently match by match in this mindset?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think definitely match by match. Especially against her, you have to, otherwise she will.

The way I played against Qinwen and today I think were very similar in terms of aggression. Like I said, I mean, she's a great player. You have to play at the top of your game. I think I did that at moments. I think in the moments that mattered, I didn't do it.

Q. Looking ahead to Paris, can you discuss and reflect a little bit about from the start of the clay season until now how your confidence is trending as Paris looms, which obviously you have great success at?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think from the start of the clay till now, I feel like my confidence is definitely very high. Like, it sucks to lose, but I know I lost playing the right way. I know that I'm a good player and that I can do better in those moments. I think I'm just trusting myself and my practice at that.

I think the way that I lost today, it wasn't because a wing or a shot broke down, it's because she was the better player today. If I lose matches like that, we go back and we practice.

I think going into Roland Garros, like if you asked me pretournament and now, I feel like I'm a different player in terms of just how I've been playing.

I think it really turned around in the Badosa match, then pushed through the Qinwen, and then today was a 4-3 loss. I feel like the scoreline doesn't show how competitive it was. It was almost two hours at 6-4, 6-3.

Going into it, I know she's the one to beat if I want to win Roland Garros. I'm going to take what I learned from today and try to apply that next time we play, which I hope is at Roland Garros.

Q. I know you just lost, but there's been three Americans in the semifinals with Tommy Paul just winning, Danielle playing tonight. What do you attribute this American success here to this week? Danielle told us about the camaraderie, the dinner everybody had this week. What are your thoughts?

COCO GAUFF: Well, I think today Tommy, he just played really well. I think Danielle has been on a string of wins lately. I think we just all root for each other and push for each other.

Specifically Tommy and Danielle are people that I always root for, even though I wouldn't necessarily say we're super close. We speak all the time. Danielle and I, I love her. Me and her got closer after the Billie Jean King Cup we did together. She's just a great person honestly. I love to see her do well. I think if you ask her, she loves to see me do well.

I think it is a camaraderie. I think it does push us to be better. I think on clay people underestimate Americans and they think we hate the European swing. I was hoping maybe I could win and Tommy could win and it would be an American sweep.

But if it's not me, I would love for it to be Danielle. If this is her farewell tour, I think she deserves it a lot. I was hoping I could win today to play her in the final.

Thanks.