THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2024

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/C. Dolehide

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Coco, good to get that first win under your belt?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, really happy with how I played today and happy to get through the first round here.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said on Saturday that after last year you said you could wish that yourself last year could see yourself now coming back to Wimbledon. What do you think that Coco would say after today's performance?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, she would be really happy. I think I was very nervous going into today. Obviously there's some times when you do bad at a tournament, you kind of like let those same feelings creep in.

Yeah, I just kind of was trying to have fun and enjoy it. I don't know how many more times I'll get the chance to play on this special court. Hopefully many more times. I try not to take it for granted.

Q. How do you manage nerves? How do you deal with that when it comes in different situations?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, it's kind of one of those mindsets. The worst that happened happened already last year, so worst case you just have to live it twice (smiling).

Yeah, that was the mentality going into today.

Q. I think of your default mode is playing aggressive. Does that have to get adjusted when you're playing on the grass? I guess I'm thinking of your backhand. You hit the crap out of your backhand. Sometimes maybe that isn't the best shot on grass. Is that a hard adjustment?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, like today I had to use the slice a little bit, which I actually did pretty decent at. Yeah, something I don't like to practice, the slicing, and all of that. Like, my coach is right, I use it a lot on grass because you never know the bounce you're going to get.

Overall I think being aggressive on grass is very crucial just because once you're behind in the point, it's very hard to neutralize. You kind of want to be the first person to strike.

Q. Is that something that Brad has pushed on you?

COCO GAUFF: Both Brad and J-C. Brad was really emphasizing using the forehand, slice on a super low, which I did a couple times today when she sliced.

On the backhand, it's kind of just my discretion and figure out. Sometimes I just improvise. It's not like I have a game plan on when to use the slice, when not to use it. It's just a feeling in the moment. I don't always make the right decision.

Q. You said you were nervous coming into the match today. After your results last year, did you feel a sigh of relief?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I definitely do feel a lot more relaxed going in now getting through. I think the first round is always the most difficult hump in the tournament, especially when you're a favorite coming in or like a top seed.

I am happy to get through that hump.

Q. Can you talk about your mindset when you're playing in terms of when do you like to be intuitive, playing free, going with the flow, and when do you focus on game plans, patterns?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think in turn, they kind of balance each other out. I mean, you always want to go in with a game plan. Most of the time the game plan I have works. You obviously have to make changes and improvise.

Today I had a game plan, and it worked. Yeah, so sometimes you kind of change it up. I think today I did change a little bit more. I'm not going to say exactly what. But I did change how I initially wanted to play just 'cause I felt like in the moment that it was better. Obviously with the result, it was.

Q. Was it more satisfying fulfilling the game plan that you had or is it more satisfying to just be free?

COCO GAUFF: Whatever gets me the easy win honestly. That's the most satisfying. I would say maybe when the game plan works 'cause it's like, Okay, I had a plan and I executed it.

Playing freely, it just feels fun. You feel like no matter what you do, it's going to be right. That's what I felt like today.

Q. I've been watching practices at Aorangi.

COCO GAUFF: I've seen you at a couple practices (smiling).

Q. Seeing players calling their own lines, it made me curious, have you ever been cheated by another player?

COCO GAUFF: I feel like you might have heard a conversation me and another player had (smiling).

No, yeah, I mean, I'm not going to say who, but we had a conversation about how some players on tour do like to call the lines a little bit too much in practice. So we were having like a laugh out of that.

But, yeah, there are some girls, I don't know if it's intentional or not, that will do it. For me, I don't really take any offense. If we're in a real match, what's the point? But a lot of times it's probably girls who maybe were like cheaters in juniors and they just have the habit.

Yeah, but most of the time I try to practice with people who don't do that just to save frustration. I'm not going to question the girl. I'm not going to be like, Hey, that was kind of in. I'll be like whatever, just move on.

Q. Even if someone is a perfect practice partner, if they're not chill like that...

COCO GAUFF: Well, they wouldn't be perfect (laughter).

No, honestly, for me if it's close, it's like, okay, it can be in or out. There's people who will deliberately call the ball, it's like inside of the line. It's not anybody that you would think (smiling).

I know people are going to probably think and say maybe Ostapenko because she does that. But, no, she's actually one of my favorite people to practice with. She's just funny. I think generally she just sometimes thinks her ball is in, but she doesn't do it in practice. It's definitely other people.

Q. About the Olympics, you and your physio, your team, are you doing anything differently in terms of nutrition, bodywork, just planning for the extra tournament and the extra body adjustment of going back to clay?

COCO GAUFF: Honestly, we haven't really spoken too much about it because I just wanted my focus to be here. I think looking too far ahead can be too much on the mind. I know having a plan in place for me to be able to make the transition from grass to clay, which I personally don't think it will be that much of a movement difference. Maybe game, tennis-wise, it might feel differently. I've always been able to adjust quicker to clay than honestly coming to grass. I'm not too concerned on that point.

It will be interesting how to go from clay quickly back to hard. I think that's more the focus more so than maybe the grass-to-clay transition. We do have about like a week or week and a half. That's more than enough time to switch surfaces. It's more so if I were to play Toronto, that would be a really fast change.

Q. You've spoken about the carryover from the way things ended poorly here last year. What is the carryover from what you did at the US Open to everything that has happened since?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think in Grand Slams it gives me a lot of confidence because I don't even think the US Open was my best tennis the whole tournament. I had a lot of three-set matches early on, and obviously towards the end.

It gives me a lot of confidence. I feel like the last couple slams, Australian and French, I think I won a lot of matches in straight sets in the earlier rounds of the tournament. So I think I'm just getting better at taking care of business and trying to clean up and make sure that these matches don't go three sets.

In the third set, anything can happen really with your nerves, their nerves. Sometimes they are freer, especially if you're ranked higher. I am trying to take more care of just getting through these earlier rounds in a more orderly fashion.

Obviously you can't control, a win is a win too.

Q. Big news with Aryna Sabalenka pulling out this morning. Do you think the draw is now more open in your favor?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, I wouldn't have probably played her till the semis. At that point it's just like this is the semifinals of a Grand Slam. No matter who you play, it's going to be a tough person to play.

But it is unfortunate that she had to pull out. She's always a contender in every slam and every surface. She's such a competitor. She's a nice person. I hate to see her not be able to play, especially it being such a last-minute type thing. I think she was healthy up until Berlin, at least that's my understanding. So hopefully she's able to get back ready.

I don't think she's playing Olympics, so she'll have some time to be ready for the hard court swing.