ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2026

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/T. Townsend

6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Coco, congratulations. First round is never easy, but you pulled through in two straight sets today. Talk through the match and your performance today.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, obviously Taylor got off to a great start. I think I was maybe a little too passive in the beginning, just a little bit nervous going in. Once I, you know, held, I think, at 3-1 or something, I felt pretty confident from there.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What's it like playing such a good friend?

COCO GAUFF: Well, it's not that different. It's more so like when you win, I think you're like, Dang. Obviously we're both competitors, so we go out there and are able to put personal stuff aside.

Q. I notice after the first set, I think Taylor went to the toilet or something in between, and you were on the court and you were serving. I know a lot of players have spent, any time they can, sat down with an ice towel around them. Why did you choose to kind of keep loose and maybe practice your serve specifically at that point?

COCO GAUFF: I just felt like, I don't know, I usually do that when the person uses the bathroom. So, yeah, I just kept the routine. At that point I didn't think me hitting a couple serves would affect me physically. I don't do that every time. I doubled twice in one game, so I was like let me get some more reps.

Q. Before the tournament, Amelie Mauresmo, said there would be no more plans to put additional cameras in private player areas here. Back in Australia, after what happened, did you get any response from the tournament about, you know, that situation and even an apology?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, I didn't get anything from my e-mail that I know. I know that WTA sent, like, something, but obviously they're different from the Grand Slams, just of them wanting to reiterate and that they are going to talk to the slams about different private, like, areas and things like that.

I feel like I started a conversation, because then I saw Carlos talking about it and things like that. But I feel like it's been an issue, quiet issue among players in tournaments for a while, and then I think when that happened, it made it a bit more public.

Honestly, I don't know what they were showing here, but I feel like French Open does a really good job with the cameras. Me personally, I haven't had any experiences where they broadcasted something, an emotional moment or anything like that. I pray before my matches, and we usually do it in the gym, and they have never broadcasted that. I'm sure I have been crying in that gym before and they've never broadcasted that. I haven't broken a racquet here, so maybe if I do that, they'll show it.

But, no, I think Roland Garros, from my personal experience, has done a decent job with that. And I know sometimes they have their own physical person recording, and you have the option to opt out of that, or you can tell her personally, Hey, I don't want to be filmed right now, and they say no problem.

Q. I'm working on a story about hair, and I was wondering if you would talk about how important it is to you or if it is important to you to have your hair in a certain style, both because I think athletes often say look good, feel good, perform good, but also for the convenience of it is something people don't talk about a lot. I was also wondering if you do your hair on the road, because it can be hard to find people. I'm sure it's very hard to find people in different countries, also.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, honestly, having Black hair and thick hair like me is not the easiest, but it's definitely something I do try to plan around, not every tournament, but the slams, try to match the vibe to my outfit, like -- what did I do in Australia? Red, whatever hair I did, was very intentional.

Yeah, I got my hair done here in Paris. Luckily Paris is a very diverse city, so it's not really hard to find someone, but it is a difficult thing on the road. Some cities, you know you're just not going to probably find someone who can do it.

I don't know. I plan my styles around when I know the next stop is going to be. It's things like people don't, like my mom, that people don't realize, like, the night before we're up on my only day off, like, taking out my braids, up to 1:00 a.m., taking out my braids and then having to go the next day and sit in the chair for 8 hours to get your braids done again.

I think it looks good, so I keep doing it. I have said this before, I pride myself in just showcasing different Black hair on tour just so that almost every girl can feel represented. Yeah, the Williams sisters did that for me, so I try to do that for someone else.

Q. (Off mic.)

COCO GAUFF: No, I actually thought about getting that. I will probably do that for US Open. But, no, this is like the Zoe Kravitz braids. I have micros up front and then like a sew-in in the back.

Q. I'm trying to understand the movement of sliding. I wonder if you could speak, as an American, where hard court is the traditional surface, what it was like for you, like, learning to slide when you grew up, adding the caveat that you won the Orange Bowl Under-12 as well on clay.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, so I have been growing up, going to Europe training at Patrick Mouratoglou's Academy since I was 10. So when I was 10 was my first experience on red clay. I think because of those experiences, going every year and them teaching me how to slide, it just felt very natural. So I definitely think I had a growing-up upbringing different to most American players.

Yeah, at Orange Bowl, it was green clay. At that point, I, yeah, was going to Patrick's a lot so I was used to playing on red clay. Honestly, green clay was not something I did well on often.

Yeah, I think for me it was just growing up and it never felt like a thing, like most Americans. I feel like it's just natural.

Q. Also, I guess a bit with your background where you grew up and stuff, you seem to thrive in hot conditions. Wondering, A, if it is as it seems and you do enjoy playing in the heat, and also, the extent to you're, like, Yeah, bring it on, keep it this hot, because other players seem to be really struggling and you seem fine with it.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, honestly, it's funny. Yeah, when I saw it was going to be hot, I definitely think it's something I do well in and can thrive in a bit because of growing up in Florida.

And I know some people try to practice early, but I try to sometimes practice in the prime of the day, even if it's shorter, just to get used to, because you never know.

I think maybe the issue why a lot of players are struggling, because honestly, Miami Open is pretty hot. But I think some people are struggling just because we spend the whole European swing not really playing in hot conditions and then all of a sudden, it's like ultra hot. I feel like most people's bodies just are in a shock wave right now. It gets pretty hot at US Open, too, and I feel like you don't see it as much. So I think that's part of the reason.

Yeah, Europe, y'all don't like AC, so I feel like I'm constantly trying to, even at restaurants, everywhere, I'm sweating, I'm taking four showers a day. Like, I took a shower before this. I'm going to have to take another one after. I feel like the problem is we can't escape the heat here. Even, like, the coolers on court, the drinks don't get cold. I think I'm going to have to request more ice for the next match (smiling).

Q. Following up on the cameras. I was at a nontennis event a couple of weeks ago, and the carpet changes color if you're in an area that has cameras in it or doesn't have cameras, and the competitors know they are not on camera. Do you think clear communications about that would help in tennis, to sort of make those sorts of moments happen, so there is better communication, understanding, clarity, whatever it may be?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, that would be pretty cool. I think also the issue was with specifically Australia is almost all the private areas outside the locker room are recorded, so you don't really have anywhere to go. Some of the cameras do look like security cameras. They don't necessarily look like broadcast cameras.

Here at Roland Garros I notice in the gym they have a sign that says "Video" on here. But I was told at Australian Open that they have control on what they broadcast and don't broadcast, I thought. And then turns out they didn't. I don't know what happened with that.

I definitely think having a sign or even the cameras having a little light when it's red or a red light or something that when you're potentially being broadcast, it could be something different.

You know, as authentic as I try to be, not every moment you want put out to the world, but I'm glad it started a conversation. I don't know. I thought some people sent me messages thinking I was upset that everyone saw me break a racquet, but I'm, like, guys do it every two days, so I'm okay.

Q. On the match, early on in the match, once Taylor gets that lead, it's a very easy point where people might think, defending champion, you fall behind, the pressure, the panic, all this sort of stuff. Curious, those first four games, what was going on in your mind to allow yourself to settle. Second question is looking ahead and playing Mayar, how well you know her and what you anticipate about that match.

COCO GAUFF: I had thoughts about what if I lose and stuff. Honestly, I kind of remember that tennis is two out of three sets, and I think Rome taught me a lot about my ability after losing the first set and stuff.

I don't know. I felt like Taylor came out playing really great tennis, and I just felt like if she continues to play like this and she wins a match like this, then she deserves to win and I could walk away and be like, I just wasn't good enough today.

So I didn't allow myself mentally, I think, today to get to that point where I feel like in the past I would.

Next round, I feel like I played her in Cincinnati three years ago, something like that. It's been a while, but I know she's a fighter. I feel like she plays a lot of long matches. So we might have a long one. I don't know.

I honestly haven't, yeah, we haven't played each other in so long, so I have to rewatch and know more about her game and stuff. I have seen her play quite a few times.

Q. I have to tell you, just sitting in the stands, it was tough. You had mentioned also in the after-match interview on court, this is the first time you have played Taylor.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah.

Q. Do you practice with her at all? I know you're both from the Florida area. Do you hit with her at all?

COCO GAUFF: We practiced I think like two years ago in Madrid a couple times because we were playing doubles together, but honestly, I think she lives more in Atlanta now.

When we're off, I don't really get to practice with her. Also, I feel like being a lefty on tour, it's not often that I need to hit with a lefty, but yeah, we just never really, haven't played each other, which is kind of crazy.

I did play her, like, in ITF, I think, in Charlottesville or something, that was our first pro match, but this was our first match on tour playing each other.