ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 13, 2022

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/A. Konjuh

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Talk us through the match, how you've been feeling this week.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I've been feeling super good my whole two weeks so far in Adelaide. I mean, obviously last weekend didn't go how I wanted it to go. I took a lot of positives from that match and I think I've been improving and working on it this week. I'm hoping to continue that momentum through the rest of this tournament and through all the Australian Open.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You touched on the Ash Barty match last week. Seeing that she went on and won the title, you followed up with some good form this week, in hindsight do you take a positive out of that?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, that's what I've been trying to work on, is taking more positives when I lose, not beat myself up. I can never say -- it's never good to lose. I will say if I'm going to lose, that's kind of how I want to, where I had chances, I fought the whole match, I was mentally engaged the whole match. She just played better when she needed to. Sometimes that's what happens when you play the No. 1 player in the world. I know I need to raise my level even more.

I think it was a good lesson for me early in the season. I actually learned from that and took it today in the match today and yesterday's match.

Q. When you say you took some lessons out of it, are you able to say what lessons?

COCO GAUFF: For me just to trust myself, not focus so much on my opponent. I think against Ash, I was maybe more focused on what she was going to do, which is hard not to think that because I know she can play good tennis, and she did.

I think more focus on just my game and focus on hitting the shots I like.

Q. How excited are you about this year compared to 12 months ago?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I'm super excited for this year. I really do feel like I had a good pre-season and I feel really confident on the court. Even though like the pre-season was two months, I feel like I improved so much during those couple months of training. I'm hoping that I can show that to you guys and show that to myself in the matches.

Q. On yesterday's match against Marta, that was a tight match, came down to the wire. Your thoughts on that match in terms of being able to grit that one out? How did you feel about getting that match? How important was that win for you?

COCO GAUFF: It was really important for me. I know I keep bringing this back to last week. But back to last week against Ash (smiling), I think I was up a break in the second, had some chances. Yesterday I was kind of in almost that same place mentally. I was like, I'm just going to go for it, hit my shots. It ended up working out for me.

Yeah, she played well. I knew going into it she wasn't going to be an easy player to play. I never played her before, but she obviously had good results on tour. I think she made second week of French last year. Obviously some great results as a junior. I knew she was going to fight until the end.

I think I just kind of -- tennis is all about a couple inches. I think I got a little bit lucky sometimes, but yeah, it's okay.

Q. It looks like coming out of Adelaide, regardless of your results over the next two matches, you'll come out as the highest-ranked teenager on tour. You're the youngest one in the top 200 as well. You can get down on yourself on losses, but do you ever step back and allow yourself to have perspective on how special and extraordinary what you're doing is?

COCO GAUFF: I think I'm trying to do better in stepping back and looking at all the good things that I've done. I think like as a champion, obviously most champions are pretty hard on themselves, but not to the point where you're almost beating yourself up. I think that's where I was making my mistakes and sometimes I even still do.

I think it's important to celebrate your wins. I'm trying to do a better job of celebrating my wins.