ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2025

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to Paris. Incredible start to the clay season here for you. Does it give you any confidence coming in here?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, it definitely gives me a lot of confidence with the results over the last few weeks, but I think just putting those results in the past and focusing on the next two weeks here.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Was clay so comfortable for you from the beginning? I mean, I know you have talked about going over to Mouratoglou's academy. Was it sort of an initial comfort zone? Because it certainly has become very comfortable for you throughout your career.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, honestly, I feel like when I started then and when I was young, I just played on it. I feel like at that time I didn't gauge surfaces or anything. I felt like I should just be good at everything (smiling). So it just felt like that.

I would say definitely, for sure, I think once I won junior French Open I still didn't even think about it being a surface thing, but then I think once I got on tour, I was, like, Okay. I actually feel really comfortable on this surface. I've noticed that when I would go from hard to clay it was pretty easy for me to transition to.

Yeah, I definitely think it's something that I'm comfortable on. I mainly credit it to me probably sliding a lot on a hard court so when I go on clay it just feels a lot easier.

Q. In terms of the behavior of the ball, does that work for you, do you think, and play into your skills and talents?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, definitely. I think especially with how heavy I hit on my forehand side, I definitely think it helps enhance that. Yeah, and then obviously athleticism, I feel like it's very hard to win on this surface if you don't move well. You know, you can, but I feel like it's hard to do.

So, yeah, I think it helps with that, too.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the success of U.S. women's tennis. What are the main reasons to explain this success? You are four in the top 10.

COCO GAUFF: Well, other than the obvious, like, size of country and things like that, that plays a big role (smiling), but I feel like just us having a lot of role models to look up to throughout the history of the sport, there's always been American women, multiple American women doing well in this sport, so it inspires other people to do that.

Obviously when you have people who have done that before and the coaches are still very involved in the sport, it helps develop young players. And we have a lot of resources thankfully in the U.S., especially when it comes to tennis, so I think that also helps.

Obviously being on tour, just seeing your compatriot do well. You know, you have to remember a lot of us grew up playing against each other in juniors, lost to each other and beat each other. I think if you see your friend who you used to beat or beat in juniors and they do super well at a slam or at a big tournament, you're like, okay, we were at the same level at this age, I don't see why I can't do the same.

A lot of tennis and a lot of being successful is literally just that belief factor. It's not as much the game. I think we have a lot of belief in our country just because of the amount of success I feel it's had over the years.

Q. Three years ago when you lost the final here, how did you find the period after? Was your confidence increased because you got to a final or was there a bit of a hangover at the defeat? How did you find that period after?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think immediately after it was a tough feeling for me, because I felt like I very much underperformed in that final, not necessarily obviously in the game-wise, but mentally I was very disappointed how mentally I approached that match. I just felt like maybe I could never overcome that.

Then I just turned it into motivation. I knew that, I don't know, just had a deep-down gut that I was going to be in a final position again. I was like, I'm not going to go out like that. If I go out, I'm going to leave with my head held high. So I was able to approach that US Open final differently.

But I definitely think I needed that finals loss to reach this point, for sure.

Q. I'm just wondering if after the Australian Open this year you changed maybe the way you are approaching the Grand Slam, maybe about pressure, or not?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, I felt like in Australia I was playing great tennis, and then I played Paula who was also playing great tennis.

You know, I think my mindset going into this tournament, I didn't feel that much pressure really going into Australia. I was playing pretty free. I don't really feel that here. I think I've learned, I feel like I know that it's a long way to the final after experiencing here and then US Open, I know it's a long way.

Yeah, I think just taking it match by match, point by point, and hopefully I can end up there. If not, I'll go back to the practice and figure out what I can do to do better.

Q. What were your feelings today on the Philippe Chatrier? How did you feel?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think it's such a nice court. I think this is my third practice on it. I really enjoy playing on this court. Yeah, I'm super excited. I hope I get to play some matches on this court the next two weeks.

Yeah, I'm really excited.

Q. Do you think like the window to win the title this year is more open than ever? Because it seems like everybody in the top 5 can have the chance to win.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think everybody is playing some great tennis. Yeah, I would definitely think it's pretty open. I mean, obviously I hope that I'm up there, but there is obviously like Jasmine, Aryna, Iga, Qinwen, Mirra. There's some more I can name that all have the opportunity. Who knows? We all have seen things like US Open happen when Emma won. So there is literally anybody can win this tournament.

Yeah, I think that's what makes women's tennis exciting. I think this is why everyone should tune in, because, you know, I feel like it's maybe not so much on the men where maybe you have maybe the top three or four you know who's going to win. I think women there's so many possibilities so it makes each matchup equally exciting.

Q. What was the lesson that you took from Saturday and the way Rome ended?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, for me, that was a tough match. I think I was a little bit mentally -- no excuse, but I just was a little bit mentally drained from the long match with Qinwen. So I think just approaching it a little bit different.

I wasn't nervous or anything. I think I maybe made too many errors that match. I feel like maybe when I'm not feeling the best on the court, I can take some more time in between points, try to build the points more, maybe not rush out with them as much.

It was tough. Jasmine was also playing great. So I felt that day it just wasn't meant to be.

I put it past and I know that next time I maybe feel like that on the court I can do some other things to kind of make myself get back into the match.

Q. Even with all of the experience you have and the success you've had, does it feel to you like you're still and always kind of learning and trying to improve maybe day to day or week to week or tournament to tournament? If so, do you think that will ever change, or will that always be part of who you are as a professional athlete?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I feel like I'm always learning, especially at this stage of my career. I feel like I have a lot to learn and a lot that I can improve on and a lot that I can get better at. I feel like it's always going to be like that at any point in my career even.

No one has, I don't think, ever gone through a whole year and not lost a match. So I feel unless you're undefeated or you don't lose a set, then you probably always have something to work on.

I know throughout my career there will always be something I'm going to want to improve, maybe not as much now I feel like I have big things to improve, but maybe I'll reach the point where it's just taking care of even smaller, little details.

I feel like as long as you're improving it gives you a goal to get better.

Q. On a separate topic, pretty much everywhere, every tournament, every surface, there are no more line judges, it's all electronic. But here they still do have the line judges. Which do you prefer? Do you care which way it is? Do you think it's odd that this tournament is still sticking to the old way of doing things?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, I don't know if it's like Gen Z in me, but I think if we have the technology we should use it. I don't have strong feelings of it. Obviously umpires are great. But I think to me personally I just feel if we have the technology, it should be used. These small details in the match can matter in the grand scheme of things.

But I respect the tournament's decision, and I respect the fact that they still have line umpires. I don't feel very strongly in either way, but if you ask my opinion, I would say I prefer, like, the electronic line system.

But, yeah, I'm not going to be out here advocating and pushing for it. But yeah, if I had a preference I would choose to play on the court maybe where the robots are making the decisions (smiling).