AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 25, 2026

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/K. Muchova

6-1, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Coco, quite a battle out there today between the two of you. Just talk us through your thoughts on the match.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, today was a tough match. Every time I play Karolina, it feels tough out there on the court. Yeah, she's a talented player. Really just came down to couple points in the third set that went my way.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Well done. How does the experience of getting to this stage of a Grand Slam, how does it change things for you? Is it more fun being in the second week of a Grand Slam, or does the fun go away?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think, no, I think it's more fun. I feel like with each match you start to relax a little bit more. But also, as you keep going, usually the ranking of the opponent gets higher, so the matches should be a bit tougher, which they have been.

But I definitely think it's more fun just because you're in great battles, and also just being here in Australia, I think it's the real opportunity to show where your game is.

Yes, we play warm-up tournaments, but Grand Slams is where everyone kind of tries to peak at. So you expect to play the peak version of every player. I think it's just a fun challenge.

Q. Last round you were asked about sort of the next generation of players. You had to do the math quickly and realized you're only two or three years older than them. When you're asked about that, do you feel older than 21 and the sort of phenomenon you find yourself in?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, the way people ask the questions make it seem like I'm way older than them, but I have been around longer, obviously. But yeah, they're always, like, Do you have any advice to give them, or things like that.

I'm, like, you guys, these are, like, my peers. We are the same. We are hanging out (smiling). We're in the same age group.

I think it's just the idea that, yeah, I have been on tour six, seven years at this point, just because I had a bit of an early start.

Yeah, they're only two years younger than me. Yeah, it definitely feels like I'm the same age, because obviously I talk to them. We're interested in the same things and stuff like that, but it's always funny when people ask me the question. I usually don't have anything to say, because I'm still figuring out, just like they are.

Q. Is that a relief to still have camaraderie with your peers even though you have had sort of a unique upbringing in this sport?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, honestly, I feel it more of a relief now that younger players are doing better. Well, yeah, being more on tour, just because obviously when I was 15, there weren't many people around that were my age. It was very lonely for me, honestly.

So it's great to have, like, more people of my age range doing better and, you know, so I can see them at tournaments more, because I had a lot of friends, but we weren't playing the same tournaments. It was tough to keep up with those relationships.

Yeah, I felt like the last couple of years or maybe last two years on tour have been some of my happiest, even though maybe the tennis has been up and down, just because you see more friendly faces in the locker room that you can actually be with. Obviously there is Jess and Maddie, but they're a little bit old, so we don't always connect on the same things.

Q. The interesting stat I noticed is every time you have beaten Muchova, you have gone on to win the title. Do you feel good about that, or is that in the back of your mind where you think how I can keep that going?

COCO GAUFF: I saw someone post that. I didn't know that, but I mean, I don't think it's a real thing. I think I just usually play her later in the tournaments, so it just happens to be like that.

US Open I played her in the quarters, Beijing was in the final, Cincy was in the final. So I think it just happens to be like that because I have played her in the later rounds.

No, I don't think I'm going to think about that, but if I do win, then I guess I have her to thank. I don't know.

Q. I guess sort of somewhat adding on to that, I guess your consistency at such a young age to be able to go deep into Grand Slams, into tournaments and everything like that, I guess what's your mindset like going into these? How do you keep consistently keep reaching that level and keep getting to those points?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think, honestly I feel like once I get past the first round, I kind of tend to relax a little bit more. For sure, I have lost earlier, too, but I think just, I don't know, it just feels, like, relaxing.

Yeah, I think also just draws do help. When you get seeded, you don't have to play so many seeded players in the first couple of rounds. I think that helps.

Yeah, I think overall I feel like the more experience I get at this level, maybe not the easier it gets, but the more used you get to dealing with those difficult situations. Obviously losing the second set today, I'm glad I was able to reset and kind of go on to play some good tennis after that.

Q. What are some of those difficult obstacles that you're alluding to that you have to deal with in those moments?

COCO GAUFF: I think always in the past for me was maybe not looking too far ahead. I remember when I made my first quarterfinal, such an idiot, I think it was French Open, and I was, like, oh, my God, I'm so close to winning.

Obviously it wasn't. Plenty of people make the quarterfinals in their career and didn't win. That's just how I thought at that age.

Honestly now I just treat every match like I'm the furthest away from the trophy, even if I am in the final. I find in the final I treat it now as if I'm the further possible away, like I'm not even close.

For me, in my head that just helps me play better. I don't know if that will work for everybody else.

Q. American women are having a pretty good showing here, and just curious if you're aware of that. If Amanda wins, half the quarterfinalists will be from the USA. What are your thoughts on that? Are you aware of it? What do you think is in the water?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I'm definitely aware of it, because you see them every day, and we're all rooting for each other. I don't know. I think it's cool.

I think I was mainly aware of it last year when we were at the WTA Finals. I think it was four out of the eight, if I'm not mistaken, were Americans.

I don't know what's in the water, but I think we have a strong, like, tennis identity in United States. So I think that just causes the natural call to produce great players.

Also, I think when you have friends and people you practice with being at a high level, if you're not at that level yet, you know that you can reach there.

Yeah, it's really cool to see all of us doing well. Yeah, for sure, I think Jess and Maddie play, so they'll be for sure one, and hopefully Amanda can win and we can keep this up.

Q. I wanted to ask you about the Player's Box Podcast using you as their first guest. We have not really had active players start a podcast before. Have you listened to it? What do you make of it, and is it important for us to have that perspective of an active player in a podcast?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think it's really cool, especially the most times you guys hear from us is usually in these press conference, and we're getting asked questions that maybe you guys -- well, they're not bad questions. They're not bad questions, but they're just questions that you wouldn't -- like, if you're in the locker room, there is more fun questions to ask. Obviously you guys aren't there.

So I think that it's cool to get their perspective. Yeah, I listened to it before. Jess asked me, like, if I wanted to go on, and I was, like, of course. Honestly I had a really good time, and I think that it's cool to see a different perspective of other players.

I don't know if I would start one. I don't think so. But I'm happy to be a guest on some. I think that was my only second-ever podcast. I have been invited on a few.

I don't really like being on them, because I think I talk too much. It was just nice to be with four other people, so it avoided me talking too much.

Q. At what point does the locker room start to feel empty?

COCO GAUFF: Honestly, today (smiling). Yeah, today I was, like, in the gym and stuff, and I was, like, oh, it's kind of empty. Usually you are fighting for your little corner or space to be in.

And in the locker, I mean, my locker is way in the back, so it doesn't always feel crowded. I think today was the first day I walked on, and there is a little lounge area, and sometimes the seats are taken and sometimes they're not. Today I was, like, oh, there is quite a few available.

I would say, yeah, fourth round is when it starts to feel a bit empty.

Q. Is it lonely at all?

COCO GAUFF: No, it's nice, because you can actually, like, move around, and you're not saying, sorry, every two seconds, because you're not bumping into someone.

Q. You talk about age, and you're playing with a lot of your peers. Iva is 18, so she's kind of your age.

COCO GAUFF: She's my brother's age.

Q. Do you feel like sort of more of a matronly feel with her?

COCO GAUFF: Matronly? I think of mothers when I think that, so I'm not quite there yet.

Yeah, she's the age of my little brother. Yeah, I do feel older than them. That's for sure. I don't feel the exact same, but I don't feel as old as people make it seem.

I have talked to Iva a couple of times. I have never talked to her about advice or anything. I feel like she has such a good head on her shoulders. I don't think she needs that.

Yeah, I always make a conscious effort, even though I didn't know her that well, but in Cincinnati I tried to talk to her. Just a conscious effort of talking to the younger players, because I remember when I was younger, some players just -- I wouldn't say mean, but it was stand-offish, and it was a different world than I was used to in juniors.

So I think that was a hard transition of having friends in juniors, and coming on pro and no one talking to you. I do make the conscious effort, even if I don't know them, just saying hi or saying good luck, and then you start to talk and then you become friends, and it's cool.