AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2026

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/H. Baptiste

3-6, 6-0, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Coco, it was a great performance by Hailey today. What did you have to do to get the win?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I thought I just had to keep trying to be aggressive. She was dictating a lot, especially on her forehand side.

I was just trying my best to neutralize that. I thought I served better in the second and third set, got more first serves in, and overall I think just trying to put her on the back foot and not me being on the back foot.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. The other day you talked about the shift from hitting flat to trying to hit with more spin, heavier spin. We see quite a few players on the tour hitting with a heavier spin these days, like you, Iga, Zheng. Do you think in the past that maybe there was a belief that in order to hit big, you had to hit flat, and maybe attitudes changing in a way?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think, I don't know if every other player's perspective, but for me, I just felt like I had to hit flatter to hit bigger in the court. And I think I realized that that's just maybe not the game style that I can play, given the way my strokes are.

Yeah, and also like the guys, they're all hitting with spin and they're not hitting the ball, like, soft. They're hitting pretty hard.

For me, I think the way I swing and play, which is a physical type of way, I think that just I realize that I can still be aggressive and still hit the ball really hard, just with a bit more spin and margin. Yeah, I think that's what I try to focus on.

I think people can see the improvements I think with that mentality.

Q. What was kind of the biggest change and adjustment when you decided to make that change in terms of moving around the ball, stepping back, and giving more space?

COCO GAUFF: I think the biggest just honestly was just trusting and accelerating. I've always thought for some reason in my head the hitting shape was more defensive and things like that, and I realized that you can be really offensive and aggressive with hitting with shape.

Yeah, honestly today I felt better on my forehand side than I did my backhand, which yeah, if you watch me play, it's not often that happens. Yeah, I think that just goes with the adjustments of being more confident with that swing.

Obviously my backhand is a bit flatter than my forehand. Yeah, for sure on forehand I just try to be aggressive with spin.

Q. I just wanted to get your thoughts on this tournament. There have been quite a few young players getting good results. You have Vicky. Iva Jovic, who is close to beating Paolini at the moment. Valentova and others. What have you made of those young players, their games, their maturity, et cetera, having coming through so young yourself?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, they're all great players. I have played two of them. I've never played Iva yet. Obviously watching all of them play, I think they're all very talented players. I think they just have the belief that they can be here with the top dogs, and I think that's kind of the mentality I had when I was younger, just that belief, and belief will take you really far.

Yeah, and I think that they're all -- I don't know Valentova that well off court, but I played her in French Open last year, and she seemed like a nice person, but they're all, I think, great people. I think that's what makes them easy to root for, for me as a player, and also, I'm sure, as a fan.

Yeah, it's great to see them doing well. Yeah, hopefully when I play them, I can win, but if not, it's okay (smiling).

Q. I remember you saying, I think last year, you were, like, yeah, I was naive. I just thought I could beat anyone when I was crazy young. Does that make them more dangerous because there is a kind of fearlessness?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, for sure, I think a couple of your first years on tour are always easiest just because there is no pressure, no points to defend.

Also, like, scouting-wise there is not many matches for other players to call upon. But yeah, I thought that that was a mentality I had, and then honestly, this year I was, like, I need to get back to that, because it's actually more factual now than when I was 15 or 16 years old.

Yeah, I think that if I had any advice to give anyone, just keep that mentality throughout your whole career, because as you get older, it should be more factual than maybe when you first started.

Q. Obviously you and Hailey have sort of grown up together, have known each other for quite a while. Going back to, I guess, those moments where you're sort of, like, practicing as kids and going to camps together and everything like that to now playing against each other at a Grand Slam level, talk us through that. Was that a bit of a pinch-me sort of moment when you realized how cool it is we're actually playing against each other on one of the biggest stages in the world?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, well, now that you put it in perspective, I have just gotten used to seeing both of us do well. No, yeah, for sure, if you told us at that age that we would be playing each other, especially I don't even think we played each other in juniors. We always played the same tournaments but never really played each other. The fact that we played each other and also at the biggest stage, I think that's the biggest.

But I feel the most, I guess, happy for our parents. Like, both her parents and my parents are pretty involved in our tennis and have been involved throughout our whole lives.

So I think it's especially cool I think, for me, with seeing her dad in her box. My dad doesn't sit in the box, but he's here. Just knowing the stuff they had to do to help us get to this level.

Q. I asked Aryna this a few days ago, but seeing Naomi come out in this heightened, almost rock-star arrival, is that something you have considered, any design collaborations similar that?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, no, that was really cool. Yeah, we have had ideas in the past, but I feel like I have always wanted to do it if I won the tournament before, so I feel like Naomi being two-time champion here, she can do that. Well, really anyone can do it. It's fashion. There's no rules.

But, yeah, that was an insane arrival, and I thought it was really cool. I think what she's doing for the sport and the fashion I think is cool and bringing new eyes to the sport.

I always said tennis, players -- well, maybe not players, because it's not their fault, but I think brands don't capitalize enough of the fact that you literally can wear what you want on the court. We're, quite literally, maybe other than golf, the only other sport that can do that.

Yeah, I always said I think other brands can capitalize more off that. Obviously, lucky with New Balance due to that, but what she did -- and I think I read somewhere it was her idea. Nike wasn't really involved with the on-court stuff, so I think that makes it even cooler.

Q. You have spoke about trying to find consistency more throughout this year with playing matches, but I'm curious, during matches and trying to find consistency in moments where maybe your serve falters a little bit, what have you worked on to find that level of consistency during the match?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think just building confidence, and yeah, today I felt I served way better the second and third set. So I think just continuing to build confidence.

I think at this point I have the right motion. I feel like I'm working on the right things. Now it's just trying to, I guess, erase old demons and actually do it.

There was moments today I was definitely nervous, and I felt like I'm getting better with each match dealing with that on those pressure moments.

Yeah, throughout the season, I would like to just be more consistent, not have so many ups and downs. I think that would go with really my serve. I think I always correlated the two. Hopefully, as I continue to get to get better with that stroke, I think the results will be more consistent because I actually will not be giving away like 20 points in a match from double faulting.

Q. With Grand Slams being quite a slog or marathon, on your off days is there a show or book or album you have been listening to that you'd recommend, something that you like to switch off? Anything you'd like to share?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, there is a few. Yesterday I was listening to "Endless" by Frank Ocean. I feel like that's just chill.

I hope I pronounce her name right, but her name is Natania, Natalia? I don't know how to pronounce her name, but I have been listening to her EP lately. I don't know. It just feels like good vibes. QC (phonetic), I like her stuff.

I like going to the movies a lot. Yesterday I saw "Marty Supreme" finally. That was not a relaxing movie at all. Very stressful. Not exactly, like, wind-down, but it was really cool. I'm glad I got to see it.

They also had, like, a promo. I'm mad I didn't do it, but it was a promo that you'd play against a table tennis pro and you win, like, for ice cream. I didn't do it, but I wish I would have known what it was at the time.

Sorry, I'm just rambling, but that was cool.

Q. You mentioned your dad doesn't work watch in your box. Does he ever tell you where he ends up? I have seen him in random spots around tournaments.

COCO GAUFF: No, it's other people who tell me (smiling). Yeah, the reason why is he can't control his reactions. So I would look, and he would be like this or like this (demonstrating). It's not necessarily for me but for him. I told him, We've just got to cut it.

I heard when I won the US Open he was in the gym, and the TV was behind so the gym attendant had to tell him I actually won, so he needed to run out and greet me in the crowd.

I don't know where he was in French Open. You probably know more than I do. Yeah, I've heard he's all around the site usually locked in on the screen and just pacing.