ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2024

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/T. Zidansek

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Coco, a great straight-sets victory for you today. Can you give us your overall thoughts on the match.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I'm very happy with how I played. Conditions very slow and muggy, but I got through it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Where would you put your level at at the moment, then, after that match?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, I definitely didn't think it was as strong as my first round. I felt like I could have, especially in the second set, probably won it a little bit sooner, maybe 6-3, 6-2. But with the matches, I mean, there's always things you can do better, and I try not to overanalyze everything.

Q. How much tennis do you like to watch in your spare time? Like at a tournament like this, are you glued to it or are you I need some time away from it?

COCO GAUFF: No, I definitely usually, for the most part, have the TV running. I would say on match days I don't necessarily watch as much, but definitely on off days, if I'm not watching, I'm definitely keeping up with the scores.

I will say, like, when I was younger I used to not do it as much when I first came on tour. I think I've grown to just love the game more as a fan or as a watcher and as a student more so than just a player.

Q. So it wasn't that before it was like a conscious thing not to watch it?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think I just naturally gravitated to it more. Sometimes people don't like watching because they don't want to get too absorbed with it. But I've learned to kind of not always be in student mode, which I felt made it kind of boring. Not boring but tough, because you're always analyzing everything.

So I just went into it, I think now I'm able to also watch as just a fan too.

Q. In an earlier match there was a bathroom break, player went off, and the momentum of things changed, which we see quite a lot. Where do you stand on things like that where it's perfectly within the rules and that sort of thing but it can disrupt. Is that just an inevitable part of tennis or...

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I don't know exactly when the bathroom break happened, because I didn't see it, but if it happened...

Q. End of the second set.

COCO GAUFF: If it happened in the set break, that's within the rules, and if you're within the time limit that you're given, then I see no problem with it.

Yeah, sometimes players, you know, use it because they actually have to use the bathroom and sometimes players use it as a reset. I think as long as you're within the rules, I see no problem with it.

Q. Anything else rules-wise that you think are a bit on the edge that...

COCO GAUFF: Not really. Not that I can think of. Off the top of my head, I feel like everything is ran pretty good. Yeah, I will say, like, the changeovers seem so fast here, because I'm so used to the TV changeovers in, like, WTA tournaments so the minute does feel fast, but also you get used to it. That's not really a rule, that's just from playing from a Grand Slam to WTA, it's just slightly different.

Other than that, yeah, I can't think of any rules on top of my head. I really like the introduction of, like, the shot clock. I think that just was a good addition to the game. I think it helped stop maybe some interpretations of that rule. I think that's one rule that I liked.

Q. What music are you listening to as you go out on the court?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, when I was going out, I was listening to rap music. While I was warming up I was listening to Christian gospel music. Sometimes when I'm nervous it helps me calm down. Right before, I just like to get hype.

Q. What sort of rap music?

COCO GAUFF: J. Cole, Lil Baby, Drake, Kendrick, all of them. Who else? Yeah, Eminem. Basically any rapper you can think of is probably on that playlist.