INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

May 12, 2026

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/M. Andreeva

4-6, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Do you consider this your best performance of the week?

COCO GAUFF: Like my best?

Q. Yes.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I definitely think this match I was playing a lot better. Especially with my forehand and return, I thought I did well with that.

Obviously wish I could have closed it out a little bit earlier in the third. She definitely raised her level. I put myself in the position to win on pretty much every game.

Yeah, I think overall I'm definitely happy with how I played, yeah.

Q. Thinking back to last year, obviously this year three sets compared to two sets, do you think she came at you with anything new technically or tactically?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I thought she played, I don't know, overall better. I noticed some changes. I don't think I'll say what I noticed.

I think I was able to adapt in the second and third, for sure.

Q. In those conditions, slow and heavy, obviously really hard to put the ball past you. You actually like playing in conditions like this. What is it like? Lot of players go on about how tough it is?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, obviously it's tough. I think it's good for me. Also it's tough for me 'cause, I don't know, I felt when the balls are getting heavy, it was tough. There was one game where I just felt like I could not get the return deep. I ended up winning the game. I just felt like I couldn't get it deep enough in the court. She was killing me on the short balls.

Yeah, I think it's a win-win and a lose-lose sometimes for me. I think it just depends on the player.

Q. You had a couple of matches this week where you're the one coming back from big deficits. When you're the one up, you feel the opponent is doing that, is it insight into how you may have felt this week?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, honestly it was tough. I think you have the lead, I know when I play her she can play great tennis at any moment. But I was also thinking, I saved a match point in the last round, so I could easily not be here today.

I think I was just trying to appreciate just being here even if those match points weren't going my way. I think it showed in my reaction every time I lost them.

Q. What's the soundtrack to your winning this week and your comebacks?

COCO GAUFF: Before matches it's a lot of gospel music honestly because I've just been a little bit on edge lately. Just something to calm me down.

Honestly during the matches, I'm not really thinking about any music.