US OPEN

September 7, 2026

Coco Gauff

Press Conference

C. GAUFF/I. Jovic

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Coco, congratulations. Another impressive, straight-set win and you move on. Your thoughts?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I thought today was a good match for me. First set was really high-level for me, and she raised her level in the second. I had some opportunities to maybe get up some early breaks.

We're all just happy with how I was able to close the last game out from Love-30.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You sound like you're not getting pushed in these matches, but it seems like every time you get pushed, you've got answers for it, and you seem really sturdy in coming up with those answers. What does that feel like for you these days?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, it's always great when you can play your best tennis when the points are closer and when they're able to come back. Obviously, I would like to be up a break and stay up a break, but that's not tennis. It's a back-and-forth game.

I think I'm doing a good job of when I maybe miss opportunities or lose some games, just keeping it in the past and focusing on the present, and I think that's the main thing. I don't view it as opportunities lost sometimes. I try to just view it as what to do better and just trusting that I'll be in the same position again.

Q. You made a point on court to kind of show some love to Iva at the end, sing her praises. Why was that important to you to do today?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think I just remember when I was that age, every loss was so low, and every win was so high. I think there's lessons to be learned in the losses.

I don't know, she seems a little bit, I feel like, more mature than maybe I was at 18, but I feel like sometimes the losses for me felt so low.

So I think it's just important getting her to know that she's playing good-level tennis, and I think today it just went my way, but I've obviously had -- sometimes experiences matter.

I'm someone who played well young too, so it doesn't always matter. Sometimes it does matter, and you just learn those lessons and know that she'll be in many more fourth rounds and quarters, and she'll capitalize on those moments the next time.

Q. Coco, given your experience in facing Mirra and the way you're playing right now, what are your thoughts on facing her next?

COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, it's another tough match. Mirra is someone that I always have tough matches with. You know, they've leaned my way, but I think it's similar to Karolina that every match could have almost gone either way.

I think I only remember one of them maybe being smooth here, and that was, like, three years ago here when was super young. I mean, she's still young, but when she was super young.

She's obviously in a different mindset now at the top of the game coming off of a Grand Slam win. I expect her to approach the match completely differently before in the past.

Yeah, I think it's going to be a really athletic, tough match. Hopefully I can, you know, take my opportunities when I get them, yeah.

Q. In terms of style of play, what impresses you most about the way she plays?

COCO GAUFF: I mean, she obviously serves well, is really athletic, can play kind of similar. Like, we play similar. She can play defense. She can play offense. She can do everything well on the court.

So I think it's just going to be who can grit out those moments the most. Yeah, it will come down to the wire, for sure.

Q. Before you play a match of the magnitude of a Grand Slam quarterfinals, what do you do tricks-wise to block out the noise? Is it a good night's sleep? Is it meditation? Is it turn your phone off? What do you actually do to try and lock in, if you like, because there's so much surrounding this match?

COCO GAUFF: I think I just welcome it. I don't know how to say this without, like -- a quarterfinal for me, I feel like I'm at the point where I'm used to being in this position. I'm constantly putting myself in quarterfinals, so the moment doesn't seem as big anymore.

That doesn't mean I'm -- I'm very lucky to play, be here in the quarterfinal. Obviously, I hope to play many more, so I think it's the fine line of appreciating the moment.

I think so many people would love to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal, but also knowing that I put myself in this position so many times that I should almost be used to it, so yeah.

Q. You talked a lot about the serve, but I've also been really impressed with the forehand. That's a shot that sometimes breaks down. Are you doing anything different on that shot, or is it more that you are just feeling so confident, and you're just doing what you normally do, but you're just really confident right now?

COCO GAUFF: No, I think just trying to have better footwork towards the shot has made a difference. I feel like in the first set I was hitting it really well. Then my coach just reminded me of how well I was hitting it at that 4-All game. I think from there I was back to hitting it, like, good.

I think it's just knowing in practice I'm executing it well, and I'm starting to execute it really well in matches. Honestly, I feel like it's the thing when you have maybe, like, a weakness and over the years everybody just starts hitting to it, have you no choice but to get better.

So I welcome it, because I feel like every match I'm hitting more forehands than backhands, so it's getting better. Honestly, I was thinking in practice, I was, like, sometimes I feel look I need to practice my backhand more, because it is a side maybe people stay away from.

Yeah, I think it's just one of those shots that it only will get better with experience and just trusting it, and when I'm trusting it, I feel like I'm hitting it really well.

Q. You did serve and volley on your match point. Is that something that you are planning, or you just follow the instinct? Is that something proof or evidence that you feel very comfortable at the net?

COCO GAUFF: It's funny. Before I hit that serve, I was, like, I'm either going to love this or regret this. Honestly, I should maybe even do it more. I feel like I was doing it a lot at Wimbledon, and I think the grass just gave me a little bit more comfortability, because I feel like grass, if you don't even hit the volley that good, it dies and stuff.

I don't know. I don't know why. I don't think I hit one the whole match, so I don't know why I decided on match point to do it. It's just one of those things. The idea came into my brain, and I'm, like, you know what, why not? I did it, and it worked.

Yeah, I don't know if it shows how confident I am or just the ideas in my head that pop up at match point. I really don't have a real answer other than I just thought of it and did it.

Q. Just speaking of confidence and you're building a match streak here, a win streak, and how do you define or know that you're in a confident state? What are the touchstones that you see or you feel in your game that make you feel that way?

COCO GAUFF: I think just my nervous system and knowing that even when the pressure is there, I'm able to rely on a lot of different things to win points in many different ways.

I think that gives me confidence knowing that I have probably up to this point, like, a plan D. I think there's comfortability in having options. If plan A doesn't work, there's B, there's C, and there's D.

I think that's something that makes me comfortable. Just knowing that if all of those don't work, then I have to go back on the practice court, and I can leave the court with my head held high.

I think the biggest way I've been -- the difference I've been playing is just trying to play with no regrets, and I think I have a lot more fun and success playing like this.