US OPEN

August 26, 2024

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/V. Gracheva

6-2, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Coco, congratulations. Convincing win. Your thoughts on your performance.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I thought I played well today. I served well. Can't ask for a better start into this tournament, so hoping to continue to get better as the week, two weeks go by.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I read the quote I think from the court where you said a week ago you would not have expected necessarily to feel like you did out there today.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah.

Q. Can you put your finger on why that is, what's changed?

COCO GAUFF: Perspective. I think just realizing that there's probably more pressure on, I don't know, maybe trying to win one than maybe defending one, I guess, I don't know. I actually just put perspective. The last couple of weeks were tough, and I was, like, I have to do this and do that, but I don't have to prove anything to anyone except myself. So this whole week or two weeks are just about proving all the expectations that I have on myself.

So, yeah, I think just learning and just realizing that I have a lot left to give this game, and whether that's going to happen this year or in the future, I have many more years coming back here, and I'm not gonna win every year. So I think just that perspective and just having the belief that I can but not the expectation that I should.

Q. Ben Shelton was asked how he felt about you and he opening Ashe, and he said it was cool, but he said I think it was really cool for Coco. I'm wondering, you know...

COCO GAUFF: Not really (smiling). He's the one who opened. I followed him (smiling).

No, any time I get the opportunity to play on Ashe is a cool experience. I remember I think two years ago I got, like, my first win on the court. You know, I remember the first time I played on this court, I think it was against Naomi on a night session, and, you know, just seeing how far I've come from that moment and it's incredible to always play on this court, day or night.

Obviously the night sessions are a little bit more nerve-racking, I think, but opening the court, two Americans, two young ones doing well, it means a lot. Yeah, I'm very honored.

Q. What are your feelings as you're walking onto the court and what are you thinking, what's going through your mind? In addition to that, did you surprise yourself with your level?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, the first feeling was it's been like a thing between, like, people, like when I wave or not, like between me and Ben, because he said I didn't wave during the Mixed Madness. So I walked on court and I initially waved, and then I got nervous because I saw how big the crowd was, and then I looked down. That was my honest thoughts. Once I started the warmup, I was fine.

I wasn't surprised about my level because I was practicing really well this week. It was a really good practice week. So honestly, I was just telling myself that I'm ready, I had a great practice week, I feel like I'm finding my game, whereas the other two tournaments that I played at, even the practice sessions I was doing, I just felt off.

So this week I just felt like I was really finding my game. I was confident going in today. I knew based off how I was practicing I can find my game regardless of the scoreline. Then it's just about executing.

Q. Is there something that lets you know when you start a match that I have found my game, that whatever you felt good about during practice is translating onto the court during a match when it matters?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think just execution. I mean, decision-making, too. I think sometimes I could rush out of points faster than I need. Then there are times where I feel like in Cincinnati, I don't know, it was just so weird that shots I feel like I could make with my eyes closed I was just missing, and today I was making those shots. I was like, okay, I know when the ball's going where I want it to go. So I feel good.

Usually that first round for me can sometimes set the tone for a tournament, whether you're playing well or not, but just kind of the mentality going in. So I think I had a good mentality. Is this going to say I'm going to play great the next couple matches? Yes or no. But I think the mentality I have going into this week will be there, and hopefully the execution stays there.

Q. Looked like you were wearing an Olympic rings necklace. Can you tell us how you got it? Is it new? Had you worn it before?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, Desirae Krawczyk actually gifted the whole team these necklaces. We had the choice between a necklace or a ring. I wish I could remember the brand. You have to ask her.

And then usually I try to wear a necklace during the whole tournament. Last year I think I wore a locket-type necklace. I was like I just came off the Olympics and was a flag bearer. So I was like I might as well flex that, so I wore the Olympic... yeah. Some people get the tattoos. I don't know if I'm committed to a tattoo yet. So I was like, I'll do the necklace.

Q. Wonder if you saw that Cooper Flagg signed with the New Balance family. He's expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft next year. He goes to Duke. Wondering if you knew anything about him.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I know who he is. I didn't know he signed with New Balance. Was that announced --

Q. Today.

COCO GAUFF: Today. I haven't been online today. I usually am up to par with all the announcements. That's really cool. I know New Balance is trying to get more into basketball. That's really exciting to have another person part of the family, and excited to see him do great things. Hopefully I get to meet him.

Q. Have you seen him play at all?

COCO GAUFF: Briefly. I don't really watch college basketball, only in March Madness. So I guess I'll watch more next year. I'm sure I'll see more of him. But, yeah, I've only seen just a little bit.

I don't watch so much college. Only March Madness.

Q. It was mentioned earlier that Ben was asked why is Coco Gauff so appealing? I kind of thought he'd say, oh, she's so charismatic or she's this great athlete, but he started out, oh, she's named Coco, what a great name. Kudos to her parents and so forth.

COCO GAUFF: Maybe because I make fun of him because his real name is Benjamin. Ben Shelton is a pretty solid athlete name.

Q. He said it was okay, but anyway...

COCO GAUFF: (Laughter.)

Q. My question, you might not want to answer it, but what has it been like having the name Coco, is it kind of fun? Has it helped you? Do you have any fun stories or a fun story you can share about that?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, well, my really name is Cori. Every time I check into hotels or people at the airport are, like, they look at my ID and they're, like, either obviously the airport you book under your real name, but the person sometimes will recognize me and they'll be like, wait, are you Coco? I'm like, yeah, it's just a nickname. I'm not somebody that looks like her.

In the hotel, sometimes, like, well, we don't have your room. I'm like, it's probably under Coco, not Cori, and then they'll do that.

But my dad's name is Corey, and so I guess, you know, they didn't want me to get my dad and me confused when my mom is like yelling at one of us in the house.

Coco, there's like two stories. My aunt says she came up with calling me Coco. But then my dad said when he was younger people used to call me Co. Then he was like, I'll call my daughter Coco. I don't know which story is actually true, but they both get pretty bad if I don't say both of them. I just say that.

Q. This year they're letting fans go to their seats in between games and not changeovers. Have you noticed that? Was it something that players talked about? Does it bother you when fans are walking around when you're playing? Do you think other tournaments should do this?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, it doesn't really bother me. I mean, there's sometimes maybe somebody is wearing a white shirt or something, only today I told my opponent to wait for a second for this person to sit down. Usually it doesn't bother me.

Yeah, sometimes it is weird when there are so many people because then there's people coming on the side and the back and that.

I think, for me, whatever, fan experience I think is fine. I think umpires are pretty accommodating when players want to wait till they sit down or not. I think that's all that matters. As long as the umpires stay accommodating when players want to wait. Because everybody has their preference, and it is sometimes difficult, depending on the color of somebody's shirt, that you lose the ball when they toss it up as a returner.

Maybe not a server. I don't think it bothers you as much, but only a returner you can lose the ball sometimes when they toss it up. It's kind of just your preference sometimes. I continue to play and sometimes I don't, but I can kind of tell before. I think the fan experience is important.

Those three games sometimes go, like, 20 minutes. I think it's a great thing. Umpires have been accommodating, and I think as long as they continue, I think it won't be a problem amongst players and fans.

Q. Especially when you consider your last couple of weeks, does a start like this do anything for you going forward, or do you try to stay even-keeled?

COCO GAUFF: I think even-keeled, just focusing on the match in front of me and not looking too far ahead or too far behind. Obviously getting through the first round like this is good.

Last year I had three sets in my first round here, so it kind of just really doesn't matter. I mean, I've learned that you can start a tournament, doesn't mean how you're necessarily going to finish and vice versa. I think just staying in the moment.

Q. How did you feel about the name Coco as a little kid, and how do you feel about it now?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, it's obviously great. One thing as a kid, I guess you're a kid, so it's like whatever, that's my name. Now it's kind of cool, because whenever I look on Tennis Channel or ESPN, sometimes they refer to most tennis players by their last name, but like me they refer based off my first name, because I think just Gauff is just weird.

So I think they usually just put Coco. I think it's cool to be known kind off a first-name basis, in the tennis world, at least. I think maybe just because Coco is just so easy and recognizable. People like it more than using my last name, which kind of just sounds like a sport. So, yeah.