WTA FINALS

November 1, 2024

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Coco, how excited are you to be here in Riyadh? How has the tournament been so far and your preparations?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I'm really happy to be here. I've enjoyed my time here so far. Yeah, we took the photos yesterday. They came out cool. Other than that, just been practicing. The site has been great. I'm excited for the tournament to start.

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

Q. How did you and your brother come up with the idea for Deadpool & Wolverine?

COCO GAUFF: It wasn't him. I just told him what I was going to be.

I watched the movie. Obviously he is too young to watch any Deadpool movies. Yeah, I just told him I wanted to be that. He never pushes back. He kind of agrees with whatever I say when it comes to Halloween.

Q. An important topic. Your general thoughts on the Tyler song?

COCO GAUFF: Oh, yeah, very important (smiling).

Yeah, that was crazy. I mean, I've been a fan of Tyler since I was 14 years old. I saw him perform live when I was 15 for the first time. I went to his music festival last year. I have tickets to go again this year. Hopefully he performs that song. It would be pretty cool to see that live.

That was really cool. I was not expecting it. It was crazy, because, like, he DM'd me congratulations over China Open. We never talked or anything before. He liked my photo or something when I won US Open.

Then my boyfriend is like, Watch, he's going to drop you in a song.

I was like, Yeah, that would be insane. That's never going to happen.

Three weeks later it happened. I was like, Can he see into the future or what?

Q. Jessie was in here talking about a slight change to her grip on her serve. How hard is it mid-season to make changes? Have you made any change? Do you intend to make any changes?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, no, I have made change with that. Yeah, obviously it's difficult. You do something you know one way for your whole life basically. Actually, I wouldn't say my whole life. I definitely think I migrated as time went on. But it was for a long time. You kind of have to correct it, and you're playing matches. Everything just feels fresh and new.

It is difficult, but you got to think of the long-term and the long run. I feel like this is the right decision. When it was going well, it was going really well. Yeah, I think I just need more time with it. I spent two weeks at home working on it.

Yeah, we'll see how it goes here.

Q. I think of you as someone who keeps an eye on broader issues. I wanted to ask you about the political issues around coming to Saudi Arabia, its gender equality record, the LGBTQ+ issues?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, no, obviously I'm very aware of the situation here in Saudi.

I mean, my view on it is I do think that sport can have a way to open doors to people. I think in order to kind of want change, you have to see it. I think sports for me, I would say is the easiest way to kind of introduce that.

I know they started bringing more male sports here. I know with the golf and the tennis, I think it's one of the first, this is the first professional women's tennis event held here.

Hopefully with WTA coming here and they pledged for the next three years to help the future Stars Program here in Saudi, have introduced more Saudi women especially into the sport. I think their goal is to have a million people playing tennis here by 2030. Hopefully with that, people can see us, what we represent, and hopefully that will enact more equality.

Right now if you never come here, it can never end up like that. In order to want to have change, you have to see it.

Q. Mindful of your fans, I just wonder did you personally have any reservations or concerns about coming here given the record on human rights, particularly women's rights, but also the LGBT+ community?

COCO GAUFF: No, I would be lying to you if I said I had no reservations. Obviously you know who I am and the things I speak about.

I was pretty much on every player call I could make with WTA. One of the things I said, if we come here, we can't just come here and play our tournament and leave. Like, we have to have a real program or real plan in place.

We spoke with a lot of women here in Saudi. One of them was Princess Reema. Multiple calls with her, how the best approach would be to enter into this different place that women have never kind of, women from U.S., have never kind of been in.

I think for me it was important and it was one of the questions I brought up because about LGBTQ issues, women's rights issues, how we can help with that.

I'm also very aware that we're not going to come here and just change everything. That would be very nuance to say. But it's a nuance kind of conversation.

I think knowing from the past from my grandmother, integrating her school, people aren't going to like it, but obviously in the long run I think it could be better for everybody.

Q. I know last night you wore a dress designed by a Saudi designer. Why did you want to do that?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I thought it would be cool to first just highlight a designer from here. His name is Yousef Akbar. He's won an award. I think the dress is featured on the cover of Vogue Arabia. He's dressed Beyonce and all these crazy celebrities.

First, it was an honor to be able to wear this dress. They only had a couple versions of this dress. It was not my size. I'm very lucky it fit me and he was willing to let me wear it for this shoot, trust me with that.

For me, it's really important to highlight that. I'm happy with how the photos turned out. The dress looked great on me.

I think also Arab designers do the gowns and draping the best, to be honest.

Q. Could you elaborate on what you were talking about your grip changes. Is that on forehand, serve? What has migrated and what changes are you trying to make?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, for me, I don't want to spill all of my secrets, but it's mainly on the serve that I'm working on right now. Yeah, I've always had a decent serve, pretty good serve. I think just to make it more consistent is something that was necessary.

Q. Where does Halloween rank on your list of holidays?

COCO GAUFF: It's number one. It's number one. This is the first year in a while I've only done one costume. Yeah, I was just so busy. I don't have as much time as everybody else. I had to take the pictures a week and a half, two weeks in advance because I'm here, yeah.

Best believe, if I really had it to the 31st, I would have more costumes.

Q. There have been a lot of coaching changes. From your perspective, thinking with the most recent appointment, but generally, how do you make those decisions? What are the key things you look for?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think for me, I knew I wanted someone to help me with what I wanted to see progress in, especially on the serve. Adding Matt to the team has been really great. Obviously JC, I've worked with him before. I think he has very good insight, all-court game. Yeah, I think the two blend together well.

For me, at least my personal things that I was looking for, is someone that was going to help me improve for the long-term and be committed to that. I might have had to accept some losses because I am working on things, but just be committed to the process. That's what I was looking for.

Q. What is your process with hiring? Do you get people to talk specifically about how would you improve the serve?

COCO GAUFF: Honestly, every time has been kind of different. Most of the time I'll just have, like, my dad or even my agent kind of feel the field first, bring whoever, the few that I feel like, they feel like, is worth having a conversation with. Yeah, sometimes after the conversation...

Nobody is ever bad. Most of the coaches on tour are obviously great coaches. It's kind of who you feel fit and what you need in your game right now.

Tennis I think it's one of those sports fortunately and unfortunately you're always changing coaches. Even the best like Novak felt like he needed a change. That's what I felt I needed.

Q. Because you are seen as someone who has that wider awareness of social issues, is there a message you have for your fans or tennis fans in general who might be gay or women who feel uncomfortable with this event being here?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, first for the LGBTQ+ community, for me it's always a community I'm going to fight for. I have family, friends a part of this community.

Yeah, I think for me, you're seen and you're heard. I hear your concerns. I really do feel like in order to ignite change, you have to start little by little. That's how I've been taught growing up black in America, knowing our history. Obviously there were a lot of people opposed, against it. Now we're all equally living together. If we shied away from it then, where would we be now? The same message goes out there for women. Obviously I'm a woman. I was very concerned. My dad was very concerned with me coming here.

It's one of those things where I want to see it for myself, see if the change is happening. If I felt uncomfortable or felt like nothing's happening, then maybe I probably wouldn't come back.

As far as being here for a week, I really feel like it's in the progress of going forward. The people I've spoken to, they say it's in that way. I can only trust what I'm being told. Obviously, I don't live here, so I can only trust what people are telling me that live here.

Q. A curve ball of the Final is that the election is in a few days. I'm curious how much that's on your mind, if it's not on your mind. How do you compete and focus on the event with something so massive happening back home?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, no, it is definitely on my mind. I voted. I posted content trying to encourage people to vote. Yeah, it's definitely on my mind.

Yeah, I think it's a tough time for our country, a crucial time for our country right now. All I can do is encourage people, especially young people, to vote and use their voice.

Especially in my generation, I think there's a lot of people who don't see the power of voting. For me, I do. I can only hope with my little bit of message influences some people. Obviously there's much bigger celebrities to who are trying to do the groundwork. But, yeah, there's a lot going on.

I don't think it will affect me when I'm playing. I'm kind of used to these issues while I'm not playing that I don't care about honestly. It won't affect me. I think it will just help me take my mind off of it.

Let's say, I think it's November 5th, so 6th here, it will be a very anxious day that day.

Q. This is a tournament with only the top eight. We see a lot of practice sessions between top eight players. Iga and Aryna are fighting for the No. 1 but practiced together. Has it always been easy for you or tricky to practice with close rivals? How do you see that side of the sport?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, no, it's never been difficult for me. I think it's just something that I guess is embedded in our sport honestly. I practiced with Jess last week in Florida. Obviously I'm going to play her here. We're used to it.

The top eight, maybe you don't want to practice with someone the week of that's in your group. You kind of have only like four players to choose from.

Yeah, in general I think at other tournaments, usually when you're seeded, you try to practice with another seed because you know you're not going to play them first round. In general, I feel like it doesn't feel that different from other tournaments.