C. GAUFF/T. Valentova
6-3, 6-4
Q. Where will you be eating tonight?
COCO GAUFF: Here (smiling). Yeah, because I am hungry, I'm going to eat here. But I want to go to, like, out tonight. I probably won't.
Q. Speaking of food, I have to ask you about yesterday.
COCO GAUFF: We all went to Taverna Trilussa that night and had dinner there. We're all big backs. Most of us got desserts at that restaurant and then we went and got gelato afterwards, which is probably not the best. We had a good time.
The review, definitely chaotic. Frances and Ben were talking. I was like, You better be careful because the mics might pick up whatever you're talking about. Hopefully they didn't say anything. I was like, Y'all should watch what y'all say.
No, it was super fun to be with the team, just be around some people that I don't necessarily get to talk to a lot, like Learner, Michelsen. That was pretty cool, too.
Q. What do you make of your opponent today?
COCO GAUFF: I played her in French Open last year. It was a good match. Today she definitely stepped up her level. Yeah, I think she's super talented. I mean, the Czech roster, they have a good roster. They definitely have a good addition with her.
Q. Has her level changed from last year to this year?
COCO GAUFF: Honestly, my memory is so bad. A lot of things I thought she would do she didn't do, which I guess makes sense because last year didn't go so well. There were some changes, but I think that just goes with improvement.
She definitely is a better player. I'm sure next time I'll play her, hopefully I'm better and she's better, too.
Q. In terms of your French Open title defense, do you think there will be less pressure going back to Paris than there was in New York?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think more so internally. I guess the stakes are technically the same. I don't know, I realize that the defending means nothing in a way. Like, each year is a new opportunity and new chance for anyone to win. Obviously I hope it's me.
I don't really look at it as defending anymore. I guess at US Open I was like, I need to defend, defend. When you're playing a tournament that you didn't win, what is it called? Yeah, that's why I just say like now it's just another tournament. I won it last year. I'll try again to do it this year. I'm not going to be able to defend every year. I'm not Rafa. Maybe one day (laughter).
Q. How do you think you served today?
COCO GAUFF: You know, I think it was okay. I think I need to lower my tension. I felt like I was having to try so hard to hit big serves. I thought my kick and my second serve was big. I missed some because she was pressuring my serve.
I definitely think Madrid is how I would like to serve. I'm just trying to carry that over from Madrid to here, but it's definitely different conditions. The altitude isn't maybe helping me as much.
Q. (Question about the smash.)
COCO GAUFF: I mean, I think my smash is probably my best shot, honestly. I don't really miss that many. So when I do, it does feel like, Are you serious?
I do feel confident for the most part. Sometimes it's tough when they're, like, super high and you have to hit the bouncing ones. They're actually tougher than people think. There's wind and there's sun. The worst is the crowd reaction. I feel the same, I'm like, Aaaw. I do the same when I'm watching on TV, How did they miss that? You go and play and miss the same shot.
Q. What have you made of Chris Eubanks' transition into broadcasting? If he had to come out and criticize you or whatever, has that ever happened with a former player or someone you know and you're friendly with?
COCO GAUFF: No. I mean, I think the criticism, I don't think the commentators are saying anything I don't know about myself already and about my game, what I need to improve.
With this transition, he's probably had the smoothest out of any player from player to broadcaster. I'm biased, but I think he's one of the best, for sure.
But yeah, honestly we talk tennis. I don't think there's any lines that he can cross except maybe if we talk about, like, personal tennis and stuff. So maybe not broadcasting that on the air. But he would never do that, so...
Yeah, if he had to say that was dumb, she needs to improve this and that, I don't think it's anything that I probably don't already know or haven't heard a million times.
Q. Do you watch a lot of the U.S. tennis coverage? What do you make of it?
COCO GAUFF: Like at home?
Q. When you're at home.
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I mean, I have usually Tennis Channel on all the time. That's the only I guess thing that I watch. During the slams I'm playing them. I think TNT did a really good job with French Open. I felt like they had good coverage from what I was watching and what my family was saying back home.
I definitely think they're doing a good job, yeah.
Q. Do you still collect records?
COCO GAUFF: Yes. I went in Madrid, but I didn't get any because it was stuff I already had. They were like rock. I don't really listen to rock that much.
Actually Frank Ocean just re-released some Blonde vinyl, visual vinyls, so I ordered that online. That's the last one I bought.
Q. (No microphone.)
COCO GAUFF: I did go in Madrid once. Here I haven't gone yet. I think like it 'cause it's a souvenir I can remember getting this, like, in Rome or somewhere like that. So yeah.
Q. How big is your collection?
COCO GAUFF: I don't know. I have a lot. I have some at my house, some at my parents'. I would probably say around like 40 to 50 now, yeah.
Q. You were talking about the crocheting yesterday. Is that something to help you put your phone down, a distraction, relaxation?
COCO GAUFF: Well, right now I haven't done it since Miami, so... Not at all.
I don't know. Yeah, I put my phone done 'cause my screen time is crazy. It's always bad. It's a habit I'm really trying to break, but it's just not undoing itself (laughter).
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports