ROLAND GARROS

June 9, 2024

Coco Gauff

Katerina Siniakova

Press Conference

GAUFF-SINIAKOVA/Errani-Paolini

7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Coco and Katerina, congratulations on your first Grand Slam doubles title as a team. Can you just both give me your thoughts on the tournament as a whole and the match today.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, it was a great tournament. Every match I think we played really well, even when we weren't playing so well we found a way to get out of it.

For sure the last two matches were the toughest of the tournament, but we both did a good job of just staying calm and being aggressive and playing our tennis. She did a good job of winning those long rallies. That was tough today.

KATERINA SINIAKOVA: Yeah, I think Coco said it pretty well. I mean, yeah, I was just glad that we could play, like, good tennis and even the last two matches was really tough. Coco said we found a way, and so it's really nice.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Congrats. You have both reached No. 1 in doubles with long-term partnerships. What was it like coming together two days before the tournament and trying to figure this all out as the tournament goes on?

KATERINA SINIAKOVA: I think because we are really good players, singles and doubles, I think it wasn't so hard and we know each other well.

I mean, we kind of needed to figure out how the other one is playing, but I don't think, or from my side, that we had a problem with it. We really trusted each other, and I think the combination was working really well.

Of course when we won two, three matches, it was really helping and we got the confidence.

Yeah, for first time it was really, really good (smiling).

Q. Congratulations. How did the communication work? Who was the kind of main voice between the points?

COCO GAUFF: Honestly, I think it was, like, whoever was serving was usually just, you know, saying where they wanted to serve. Sometimes I would tell her maybe what to play and sometimes she would tell me.

But I would say it was pretty equal, which normally when I play with people, I usually let the other person take the lead unless I feel super strongly about something. But I think usually it was just whoever was serving would control how they wanted their point to go on the serve.

On the returns, we didn't really, it was just kind of feeling, and we just said we would react to what the other would do. Sometimes we would tell each other to go line but a lot of times it was just reacting to what the other person... Because in the moment you can stick to a plan, but you can change it. Like, the last game I told her I was going to go T and I served wide both times.

It's just some things that you just have to feel and I think tennis, the plan doesn't always go the best. I think the best players have the best instincts.

Q. You mentioned the start time, Coco, on the court, and for a final, 11:30. Was that a bit different for you? You said it was difficult for you at 11:30, as well. I presume you were joking.

COCO GAUFF: I was joking.

No, I think the start time was fine. I would much rather play before the men's final than after it because that could go seven hours. 11:30 was fine.

It was just a joke, because I don't like waking up early. But no, I think 11:30 was a good time.

I think preferably most girls would prefer to play before the men's final because that could go three hours or five, and then the crowd maybe not want to stay. I think it was good the tournament scheduled us before that match.

Q. It's a great launchpad for the Olympics. How do you see the challenge of going from here to grass at Wimbledon and then back to clay here?

KATERINA SINIAKOVA: It's definitely big challenge. I mean, the schedule is really busy, really tough, but that's what it is.

I think everyones want to be here for Olympics. It's here in Paris, it's amazing, like, atmosphere, court. So definitely it will be really tough, but everyone wants to do it. So I think we just keep it up.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think for me the grass to clay will be an easier transition than clay to grass, which is what we're used to.

Yeah, it's going to be tough. But like she said, everybody is doing it, and you know it only happens once every four years. It's just something you have to push through and you can think about your goals. The Olympics aren't mandatory, so if you don't want to play you don't have to. I know we both want to play.

So we're going to try our best to deal with the circumstances we have.

Q. Coco, it seemed like earlier this week you were saying you really wanted the doubles to kind of close a chapter almost. How much doubles do you see yourself playing after the Olympics?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I don't really know. It's kind of like a feeling thing. Initially I thought this year, if everything went perfect, I thought I was just going to play Roland Garros and not play Wimbledon, because I was going to play with an American who I would play the Olympics for, but maybe I will play Wimbledon now.

Yeah, it's kind of a feeling thing how I feel mentally. For sure the slams is still something I still want to do because I enjoy, but I was more so the 1000s and the 500s I probably won't play as much. Just depends on the week.

Grass, I will definitely probably be playing in Berlin just because I need as much grass time as I can get before Wimbledon. Maybe the US Open swing it will be a lot less.

Especially now, doing this, this is just one of the goals I wanted to do. I'm motivated. I know I can try to do more, but I think just for the mental side it's tough, being in places. Usually I do make it to the end of the week, so it's long weeks for me.

Q. Coco, you're only 20 but you have won a Grand Slam in singles and doubles now. What does it mean for you, first of all, and is it something you thought would happen to you this young?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, doubles I definitely didn't think it would happen to me, to be frank. I think that was, like, one of the few times in my life after I lost the first two finals, I thought, well, okay, I reached that point, maybe I should focus on singles.

Yeah, I think it's just one of those things that when you least expect it to happen, it happens. Same thing, US Open, when I won it, I didn't expect to win. I was having a really bad year. Then here, I didn't even expect to play.

I think it's funny how life teaches you those lessons that sometimes it's better just to be relaxed and the good things will happen.