THE MODERATOR: Coco, welcome to Toronto, just your thoughts being back on the hard courts now.
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, really happy to be back on the hard court swing and North American swing. It feels good to, I know it's not technically home, but Toronto feels as close to the U.S. I think as it gets in another country, so really happy to be back here.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. It's been a year now since you've added Gavin to your team. Can you talk about the impact he's had, I know obviously he's kind of worked with you on your serve and forehand.
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think I've improved as a player, and especially on the serve aspect, I think that was the main focus when he joined the team. I think my last couple of results have definitely shown, like, that I've gotten better with that. Still a work in progress, I still want to keep fine tuning it and making it as good as it can be. So I'm very thankful to both the teamwork that both him and J.C. have put together on my game.
Q. When you're in the middle of a match and someone tunes in, it almost, you almost can hardly tell if you're winning or losing.
COCO GAUFF: Is that a good thing or a bad thing? (Laughing).
Q. You keep such a great composure.
COCO GAUFF: Okay.
Q. How easy or difficult is it to keep your composure in such tough moments and big matches throughout the year?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think some matches I do better with doing that than others. Yeah, honestly, in practice I can be pretty negative. I think yesterday I was like pretty negative during my practice. I think that's where I get all my negative energy out. But honestly, in the match I just try to give myself the best shot to win. I feel like tennis is a game of small margins, so if you show your opponent something, then maybe they can use that as energy. So I try my best to just show that I'm composed, I'm not always composed, but just show it, and sometimes it's really just fake it till you make it.
Q. Curious, how do you deal with kind of like inclement weather? Do you stay warm, do you cool down, what's your process?
COCO GAUFF: With the rain?
Q. Yeah, with the rain, yeah.
COCO GAUFF: I guess it depends on the scenario. I feel like, well, I'm not playing obviously today, but I feel like a day like today you kind of know it's going to rain all day, so you're mainly just chilling until maybe they pull the cord. But like on days where, like, maybe Florida weather, where it's like rain and stop, I think for me I try to stay warm for the most part, especially if you have to go out and play quickly. Honestly, it's difficult, I have no recipe for it. I think that the main thing is just making sure that, it's weird, because you have to preserve your energy because you don't know how long the day can be, but also you want to stay warm. So it's like trying to find that balance of staying warm, but also not trying to get tired.
Q. You're someone who likes to go to the movies, and cinemas having a comeback this year, it feels like a lot of people are going back to the cinema. From your perspective as an athlete, how important is it to just unplug and escape for a few hours by going to the cinema?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I love the movies. Probably my favorite thing to do. Went to Spiderman last night, so that was really fun. I, like, bought tickets, like probably a month in advance or something. I had bought some in Florida and some in Toronto because I didn't know where I was going to be for it. Yeah, I just love it. I think unplugging is like the best thing. I think the movies is the best escape because you're in that universe, whatever you're watching. Yeah, we are here on tour, away from family, so it's nice to find things that make you feel relaxed, and for me that's movies and escape rooms. We went bowling the other night, but I lost so, honestly, I regret going because I lost like 60 dollars, so... (laughing).
Q. Venus was in here yesterday, she's still playing at the age of 46. Serena's recently come back to the sport. What does that mean to you to see those two legends still involved in the game, and just for tennis overall to have them still going at it?
COCO GAUFF: I think it's really, like, cool and great to watch. I grew up watching the Williams sisters, and the fact that there's like maybe even two generations after me still being able to have that same experience is really insane. Just the aura they have, like I still get nervous every time I see them. I remember I was in Berlin and just waiting for the right time to say hi to Serena. Even yesterday, Venus was in the locker room and I had to give myself a deep breath before I said hi (laughing). It's just the aura they bring to the sport, and also the longevity. I think it's really incredible for any athlete in any profession, maybe except golf because it's a little bit less compact, but just to have, be so great at a sport for so long. I mean, I don't think I'll be playing in my 40s, just, yeah, well, they said the same thing when they were my age, so we'll see, but I hope not (laughing). I think I should have other priorities maybe, but who knows. I think they definitely give inspiration for everybody to chase their dreams and no matter their age or where they are in career and what other people, naysayers may have to say.
Q. I wonder what it's like today as an athlete, as a professional athlete with a social media presence. What is it like for you, what is the good and the bad that you experience on there?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think, well, the good, I think we're able to have a little bit control of our own narrative and our own story, I guess, in a way, compared to before social media. So, yeah, whenever things happen, I can just clear it up online really quick. Obviously with more exposure to personal things you are exposing yourself to more comments and the negativity for that too. Which it does suck at times, but I don't know, I guess it's part of it. Obviously it shouldn't have to be part of it, but you just learn how to navigate it I think growing up in the sport. I mean, I burst on at 15, so in the beginning it was tough, but, no, I try my best to just, I use the block button. So I'll just block it if it's something I don't like. Sometimes I will respond to some people or troll people. I do like to, like whenever somebody comments something mean, I might just comment back like an emoji, like a smiley face or something, I don't know, just to get them, I feel like that riles people up. I don't know, I think for me it's great because I can connect with people. And also the amount of stories and DMs I get of people saying watching me play helps them in some type of way, and I like that I can respond back. Somebody will ask me for a happy birthday message, I don't know, I just like doing thinks like that because 15 seconds of my time really makes someone's day and I think that's really crazy.
Q. Does it take up a large part of your life, you feel compelled to be on there?
COCO GAUFF: I wouldn't say more compelled than a normal person might be my age. Because I feel like I would be on social media regardless if I was an athlete or not. So, yeah, I think I'm always on there whether I'm posting or just doom scrolling, yeah.
Q. After you played Alex Eala in the Dubai last year, you basically just kind of credited her for kind of growing the demographic of tennis in other countries. I'm curious, what's it like to see someone like that grow the game of tennis in the Philippines, where it's not, tennis really hasn't had much of a history there.
COCO GAUFF: No, I think it's so great for the sport and great for all the players. Like, obviously she's the one leading the charge in that region, but I think it opens up new eyes. I've had, after my match I played in Dubai, I had a couple or really a bunch of Filipinos came to support me just because of my comments after the match towards Alex. I thought that was super cool. I think that's just so great that one player can really bridge the gap between like a sport and a nation that maybe hadn't had that representation before. I mean, she's an easy person to be a fan of too. I don't know, I love playing in environments like that. I had so much fun in Dubai, and would definitely like to play in another environment against her. Because even know though if they're not rooting for you, it's still like so fun and makes me feel like you're playing at a, I don't know, like a basketball, like the World Cup a little bit, and I think that's cool.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports