ROLAND GARROS

May 22, 2026

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Coco, I know you wanted to say a few words before we start, so I will give you the mic.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I just wanted to start this off just recognizing a deep loss that I think we all have experienced as a community with Howard. He was someone I always enjoyed having conversations with, I think one of my favorite faces to see in the room.

I was deeply sad to hear the news this morning. I just wanted to send my condolences to you guys and of course his family and friends, and his presence will definitely be missed on tour.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Thanks for those words, Coco. For you, what's the best thing and the worst thing about having to grow up in the public eye?

COCO GAUFF: Well, I mean, the best thing I think, I mean, sometimes you get some perks and stuff, like people recognize you and things like that. The worst I think is you make mistakes when you grow up, so all your mistakes are kind of shown.

But I also think it's not a bad thing, because maybe some other people can see themselves in me and realize we're not all perfect. We've all got to learn.

Q. Wondering if you can compare the experience of playing a Grand Slam final in Ashe to Chatrier, how the ways that the craziness of Ashe, maybe just how insanely loud it can be when an American plays the final, affected you. How is it different to what you experienced against both Iga and Aryna and the crowd here?

COCO GAUFF: Ashe, I think the crowd was crazy, and also, the roof was closed that match. It was so loud. And I remember when I was serving out that last game, everybody was quiet in between points. It was a difference when people actually focused.

Then against Iga, honestly, I don't remember much of that experience, because I was so nervous, and I literally couldn't play that final. I was just so nervous. Honestly, I don't remember much. I just remember in the trophy ceremony, being, like, I never want to lose a match like this again.

Aryna, I was surprised that the crowd was heavily for me. Honestly, I didn't know what the crowd would look like in that final last year. I think the most I was just surprised that the crowd was heavily for me. Also, spike Lee was right next to my towel box, so that was pretty cool.

Q. You talked about earlier in the clay court season about sort of working on your emotional control.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah.

Q. It's been a little different the last few weeks than it has been in the past. Curious what the work on the emotional control looks like for you. Is it talking to someone? I know you're a big person of faith. Just sort of if you could talk through the different aspects of how you present yourself on the court and how you work to present the person and absorb the experience of the match the way you want to.

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, I have a therapist that I have been going to for a long time, and also, just journaling and just trying to -- I think, for me, the most is try not to be negative. I think sometimes I can be too much of a perfectionist, so when I'm playing the matches, I just want to win literally every point in the most perfect way.

Obviously it just doesn't always happen for me like that all the time, so I think I can see where I want to be, and I want to be there so bad, but just trying now to focus on the process and the ups and downs of, like, the journey of tennis. It's something that I can hone in on and do well at times, and other times I cannot do so well with it.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

COCO GAUFF: I mean, I did it, like, I don't know what you want me to say. It didn't hurt. I had big braids, so...

Q. Is there a way you can compare the mindset you had last year coming into this year? Because you were battling so hard last year with the serve and everything and finding ways, and you've been in this kind of situation again this year. Does it feel the same, or are you feeling better still this year?

COCO GAUFF: No, I feel a lot better. I still had doubles in the matches, but my average in Rome was four in double faults, which I can do that.

Yeah, so I think for me it's much better than last year, and obviously I'm winning these matches a lot on just mental fight and stuff, but I do feel like I'm a better player than I was last year, so it just gives me more confidence, yeah.

Q. I'm just wondering with your experience you have had now, being on tour for years, what you've learned about scheduling, choosing when to play. I know sometimes you said afterwards you second-guessed some scheduling choices you've made. And also Washington, where you have won and haven't come back, if that would be a possibility for you at all in the future?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I guess you just learn what doesn't work and what does work. I think for me the Middle East has always been a tough swing for me. I keep trying to make it work and it's just not. Maybe next year it's something I can reconsider.

Washington, I mean, honestly, it's a tournament that I would love to go back to. First was the Olympics, so that took that out. Then last year, just with going deep here and having the quick turnaround was tough.

It will be circumstantial, how I do in these tournaments now and Wimbledon, but it's one of my favorite events that I've played on tour. It's definitely something I would like to go back to in the future, and I definitely will play that tournament again. I just don't know what year.

Q. Could you talk about your involvement in the sort of media reduction today? Talk of boycotts in Rome. Just where you're at with that right now?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I'm one of the players participating. So I won't be here too long (smiling).

No, I don't know. It was something brought to me after Rome. I know they had discussions in Rome, but I was in the tournament. I think for me it's not necessarily like going to maybe make a big difference to the slams, like for this tournament, but I think it shows or a lot of us are all on the same page and have kind of a collective action other than just having conversations, and I think this is the first real point of action we have done.

Yeah, I think I'm proud of that we were all able to get on the same page.

Q. A few players, including Jess a few minutes ago, joked that it's not difficult for asking players to do less media, it's not very difficult. Given the talk about boycotts and stuff, how willing do you think players would be able to do things that might hurt themselves, like make sacrifices in order to push forward with this and achieve their goals? An example is that I guess you could have decided not to do press at all, almost dare Roland Garros to fine you. Just curious how comfortable you feel players would be to do things that aren't comfortable.

COCO GAUFF: I think it depends on which players. I feel like the ones doing this today, I think they're pretty comfortable with this part of things. It was a fine line of what we can do but also not punish you guys, because you guys have nothing to do with this.

So that's why I think a lot of players chose to do media today and just trying to limit things with, like, the TVs and the tournaments' partners with that. But also showing up today and being able to answer questions for you all too.

It's kind of difficult to balance, and obviously, yeah, it's not hard to ask us to do less media, but I also appreciate the media, too. I don't know. It's kind of like, I don't know, what is it, devil -- what's the term? You know what I'm trying to say. Angel/devil? Yeah, God. Sorry.

Q. I really hope we're the angels.

COCO GAUFF: Yes, you are. At least for me. I don't know what questions you asked everyone else.

Q. Daniil was in here just talking about this saying that it was the most unified he had seen a lot of the top players. Were you surprised, given there is no formal league or you guys aren't unionized? Were you surprised how easy it was to organize? It must be hard to just get everyone's phone numbers in the same group chat and get people to agree to do something like that and get people to agree to do something this relatively quickly.

COCO GAUFF: I think amongst the top 10 it wasn't too difficult, because we first had those conversations last year. Actually here was the first one I attended in person. So I guess on that standpoint it wasn't too difficult or too surprising for me just from my experience of how things have been going over the course of a year.

Obviously, I don't know, hopefully we can continue to get more players involved and more things involved and get the results that we would like to see.

Q. When you have a record like you do here, 27-5, title last year, does it put you at ease or make you comfortable, or are you more focused on the fact that you're defending?

COCO GAUFF: Honestly, whenever I come to this tournament, I don't even think about my past results here. It's obviously different thinking about last year, but, I don't know, last year feels like ten years ago.

I think, for me, sometimes in my match I know like I play well here. Even if I'm not doing my best in the match, I know I can find that level just because of my history here, but it's also something I'm not thinking about entering the match.

I have to go. Sorry. I'll see you guys later.