ROLAND GARROS

June 5, 2025

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/L. Boisson

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Coco, into the finals here at Roland Garros. How are you feeling?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I'm really excited to be back here in the final. Happy with my performance today.

Obviously a lot more work left to do, but yeah, I'm going to savor this one and be ready on Saturday.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Obviously you've been subjected to massive media attention from very early on, so if you just have a few pieces of advice to give to Lois now that she's made this, like, breakthrough tournament, what would it be? How can she handle all the new pressure and expectations around her?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think her position is especially harder because I think in the French there's not a lot of players that have made this result in the recent years. So I think the whole country is going to be looking at everything.

I guess my biggest advice is just to stay true to yourself and the things that people, you know, keep your people around you, what they expect from you, not what media expects from you or other outside analysts expect for you.

Yeah, I think that's my only advice. I don't know her too well, but you know, the fact that she's had such a great run and even with all the media attention that happened so fast, obviously I think she has her head on her right shoulders.

So, yeah, it's going to be probably a weird few months for her, but I think the more it happens, the more you get used to it.

Q. Your second French Open final now. Looking back to the first, how do you remember how you feel like you handled any nerves and the occasion? Is there anything you'll take from that and maybe learn ahead of this one?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah. My first final here I was super nervous, and I kind of wrote myself off before the match even happened.

Obviously here I have a lot more confidence just from playing a Grand Slam final before and doing well in one. Yeah, I think going into Saturday I'll just give it my best shot and try to be as calm and relaxed as possible.

Yeah, whatever happens, happens, and knowing that I put the best effort forward.

Q. In your opinion, what has made Aryna such a dominant player on the tour? Because on the rankings, points-wise, she has a pretty big gap between herself and you at No. 2.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think obviously her ball striking, she can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much at all areas of the court, so I think her ball striking and also her mentality, she's a fighter as well, she's going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline.

Yeah, I think that both, like, her ball striking, serving, and mentality, and obviously there's a lot of other things, but those are the main three I would say.

Q. How do you keep a big moment like Saturday small enough so that it's manageable? You've had some big moments in the past and risen to some of them, and others, like you said, have been difficult. What do you know now about what you do in order to sort of keep it from getting out of control?

COCO GAUFF: I think just realizing how minuscule it is. Like everybody is dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final. And also realizing that -- well, I don't know big the draw is, but however many players wanted to be in this position.

I'm sure there are hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final, so just knowing that, making me realize how lucky and privileged I am to be in this position. At first I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost, and you know, the sun still rose the next day. So knowing, regardless of the result, the sun will still rise.

Especially being in a city like Paris, I was walking around the next day, and no one knew that I lost, and no one cared. Obviously no one knows -- some people know who I am, but you know, not a lot and not everyone. Just realizing that how big the moment seems in our lives is not as big in the grand scheme of things.

Q. It seemed today that you were really striking the forehand very well and aggressively and putting her under a lot of pressure with that shot. You're known for your movement. I just wonder, between, say, an example like Lois and Aryna, do you adjust your tactics significantly from match to match, given that you can, I guess, do different things?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, definitely. Obviously they're two different players and playing from Madison the other day. I definitely do change it up a little bit, but I still think going into Saturday I'll have to strike my forehand pretty well and both sides of the court, forward and backhand, and try to come up with some big shots.

Yeah, I definitely change it slightly, but also, you have to have your core to your game and kind of stick to that as well.

Q. You've played Aryna a bunch of times, of course, and on clay most recently but also of course US Open Final. What do you think will be the key for you on this surface and at this tournament, and how much for you going into a match like that is about what you are going to do versus how you plan to counteract what she does?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think just trying to go for my shots and be aggressive. Obviously she's someone who has great big shots, and she's going to come out aggressive, she's going to come out swinging. I think I just have to expect that and do my best to kind of counter that.

Yeah, I think the past experience that I've played her, we had some up-and-down matches, we had some that I won straight sets and her vice versa.

Anything can happen on Saturday. But I'm looking forward to it, and glad to be going up against a World No. 1 too.

Q. Inside of the stadium there are sayings or sign which said, "Victory belongs to the most tenacious." Do you think that it feels right, or what do you think is the most important ability or skills to win in this stadium?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I definitely would agree with that. Yeah, there's a lot of things, but that's definitely the most important thing, I think, being resilient and having that mindset, because we all, at the end of the day, are all great players, we're all playing a Grand Slam.

Especially the later stages, you know everybody is a great player. It really comes down to who can hold their own in those tough moments. I definitely think that's a good quote, especially on this surface, because clay is pretty physical, too.

Q. We had Madison Keys the other day here who said that she has very lately in her life found a way to go to cities and actually explore them while playing. I remember you saying that you wanted to do that in future. Do you have the time? Can you actually do that nowadays?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, it's tough sometimes to find the time and also the energy, but yeah, I still try to do that. Whether it's just even walking around for, like, 20 minutes, I think it makes a difference in your mental and takes you away from the sport.

I'm someone who enjoys doing escape rooms, so I did two so far this tournament. Maybe might do another one tomorrow.

Yeah, I think it definitely makes a difference. You know, I don't want to go back home and be like, How was Paris, and I didn't leave the room. I just want to be able to say that I actually enjoyed my time in Paris off court and not just on the court.

Q. A couple of years ago you started kind of trying to change your identity as a tennis player to be a more offensive player. Since that time you've obviously had a lot of success, multiple slam finals. How natural does it feel now to play that way? Does it feel like it's set, or is it still something that you're constantly working on?

COCO GAUFF: I think it's something I'm still constantly working on and something I'm trying to evolve to do. Sometimes I think maybe I can play too aggressive and start missing too much. So I think just finding the balance.

Yeah, I think I've definitely gotten a lot better at that. Hence, the results. I still think there's a lot to improve when it comes to that.

Q. I think you have the same gap between your first slam final and your second one, and now between your second and your third it was five slams in between. I'm curious, do these feel like they're coming fast for you, or does it feel like a long time since your US Open final? In terms of your patience level, in terms of how life is going by, however you want to measure that.

COCO GAUFF: Honestly, it feels kinda fast, to be honest. US Open doesn't feel like too long ago, but yeah, I would say it feels fast for the most part.

Obviously there's a little bit of time in it, but I think just going on tour and also when you are playing the same schedule, you kind of get used to it and things go by so fast. I feel like my version of a month is so different than somebody else's version of a month, just because most of the tournament -- like, a Grand Slam is basically a month. We're here for three weeks.

Yeah, it goes by pretty fast, I would say, but I'm glad to be here (smiling).

Q. I wanted to ask about the escape rooms that you mentioned. Who do you do those with? What were the themes? How did they go? Did you escape?

COCO GAUFF: We're 1 for 1. I did one like a week ago. We got out of that one. Then the most recent one we did, we did not get out. We had one more clue left.

Yeah, it was not my fault. My dad and I were the best. My mom and I did it with Chris Eubanks, and them two were the worst. I know when I invite my mom, she's not going to be great. She's just there for the vibes.

But Chris I expected a little bit better to be, just considering he claims he's good at escape rooms. But, yeah, they're fun. I think I'm pretty good, but the first one I did last week, my team carried. I wasn't that good.

Q. What were the themes?

COCO GAUFF: The first week we had to find the doctor that was experimenting on humans and prove it. Then the next one, some subway was blowing up, and we had to fix it, and I didn't know how to read a subway map (laughing).

That's why. The clue was, like, Read the map, it's going north and switch to change, and I had no idea what that meant because I don't really ride the metro that much, and I never rode it in Paris.

Q. So the teams are you and your dad against your mom and Eubanks?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, we're together. Yeah.

Q. What do you remember of that last Grand Slam final against Aryna both sort of on the court and off it? Walking on, walking off, sort of how that whole evening unfolded?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, honestly it's one of those matches I felt like an outer-body experience. I don't remember much, to be honest. I do remember at one point I think I hit a backhand cross passing shot, and I felt like that was the momentum switch of the match.

But I just remember running a lot and, yeah, just fighting for every point. Honestly, I wasn't that nervous going into that final.

Just, I don't know, I felt like I woke up that day, and I just felt like regardless of what was going to happen, I was going to come out with the win. You don't always get that feeling when you go on the court, but I did that day.

Yeah, I don't remember much, but you know, I just remember kind of feeling like I was holding my breath to the match point.