C. GAUFF/A. Korneeva
6-3, 6-1
THE MODERATOR: Coco, another strong win here. Into your 20th WTA 1000 quarterfinal.
COCO GAUFF: Oh, wow. That's a lot.
THE MODERATOR: Talk us through your match. What did you think of your performance today?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I thought today was pretty solid. As solid as it can get. Yeah, it was pretty straightforward.
I know she's young, and one of her first times on this stage, so I'm sure we'll see each other more in the future.
It was not as easy maybe as the scoreline shows, but I'm happy with how I played today.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. It's such a fascinating season right now on the WTA tour. The No. 1 ranking up for grabs, three different singles slam winners, a lot of players having really good seasons. How do you view the depth of the tour right now, and how this competitive environment pushes you to become a better player?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think the depth on the WTA tour is pretty strong. I feel like anybody can win on any day. It's difficult, it makes every match difficult.
There's no one that I think you get in the first round and you're like, "Whew." I feel like every match is tough.
It's always like that, but I feel like since I started on tour to now, I really feel the depth is stronger. I think it shows with all the stats. And now just the different slam winners almost every season. And just, yeah, like you said, No. 1 ranking up for grabs. Just things like that. But, I don't know, it makes it interesting.
Q. You're obviously still young at 22 years old, but I feel like you have more experience than a lot of players near your age. Obviously you mentioned that Alina is young. She's 19 years old. You have a great record against players, like, 21 and younger, below. Like, you've won 18 of your last 20 completed matches against that age group. Do you get up even more when you play these type of younger players? Like, do you have a chip on your shoulder to, like, kind of show them you're big mama in a sense?
COCO GAUFF: (Laughing). I mean, it's something I think about sometimes. I don't know. I think because people made my age such a thing when I was younger, I feel like, if anything, I don't take their age for granted.
I feel like, sometimes I felt people on tour when I was younger took me for granted because of my age, and that's how I was able to sneak a lot of wins sometimes. So, because I had that experience, I know not to take their age for granted.
And just because they're young, knowing that they're not going to shy away from the spotlight or be nervous or anything like that. So I feel like, if anything, it makes me just stay on my toes even more.
Especially playing someone that I've never played before, I didn't really know what to expect. I didn't watch a lot of her matches. I watched her when she was in juniors. I know she had good junior results, but I hadn't watched her on tour, so today I just really felt on my toes.
That's kind of how it is when you're playing youngsters who you maybe don't see as much on tour. I'm sure next year she's going to be a regular here.
Q. You talked about how happy you are with your serve in your post-match interview on court. Your first serve percentage is up this year. With regards to specifically your ball toss, what kind of tweaks have you made in that aspect?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, trying to just make it more consistent, and not chasing so many tosses. Just, if it doesn't look right, just not to hit it.
Obviously when you're seeing a consistent target you're able to be more consistent with that.
Also just trying to disguise my serve a little bit. I think that's something I've been working on. I feel like it is a little bit hard to read, at least that's what I think. I mean, I'm not returning it, so I don't know. I'm getting a little bit more aces, and a little bit more unreturnable, so I would like to think that that plays into it.
Q. Alex Eala is playing tonight, and has really taken the city and the tennis world by storm. You faced her twice this year, one win away from the two of you going head-to-head once again. Can you talk about what those experiences were like, and what she's bringing to the sport now in terms of all this attention at the moment.
COCO GAUFF: I think, like I said before, like, the demographic that she brings to the sport of tennis is something we all benefit from.
I played her in Dubai and that was, it felt like we were in the Philippines. I thought it was so fun to play in that crowd.
I played her at Indian Wells, and it felt like it was a little bit more American-leaning that match. I didn't get to finish it, unfortunately.
So I guess, yeah, if we were to play, I would look forward to being able to play another complete match. I'm sure it will be a similar atmosphere as Dubai as it would be here.
But, yeah, I think what she's doing for the sport of tennis is great. I think she's a great role model for people to look up to. I said it the last time: What you guys see on camera is who she is off court. That's something I really respect when someone is who they are at all times.
Q. Talking about the other possibility of who you would play next round, Belinda, I know you played her a lot, and I know you had that iconic celebration. But just give us a preview of what it would be like to play her in Toronto where she's a former champion.
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I feel like we played each other so many times over the last year or so. Obviously the match at Wimbledon was, again, a nail biter. I feel like every time we play it's three sets.
She's really a tough opponent for me. Playing her here would be a little, I don't know how it would be, honestly. I think the court's a little bit faster, so it might favor her a little bit more. But, yeah, I think either way it will be a tough match, and I'm looking forward to it.
Q. Going back to the possibility of obviously playing Alex in the next round. When you guys met in Indian Wells earlier this year, what kind of differences did you notice from your first meeting in Dubai, because it was a pretty lopsided scoreline in your favor the first time around.
COCO GAUFF: Honestly, I don't know (laughing). I can't really tell you. Yeah, that match, I just remember the second game, like, feeling what I felt in my arm. And then, like, kind of was just thinking about that, and I haven't watched it back since.
But I would like to say the generic answer: She probably was more confident this time around, and had a bit more wins under her belt, so was playing better.
But, yeah, like I said, I can't really give a full analysis on what went wrong when I don't think mentally or physically I was completely there.
Obviously she's grown a lot as a player, and that doesn't take away anything of how she was playing. She's had a great season so far.
So, right now I'm healthy, don't want to jinx anything, so I'm looking forward to playing another time when we're both healthy.
Q. Can you speak about just Alina today, and your thoughts on her game and what made her a tough player, because you mentioned it was kind of tougher than what the scoreline indicated.
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I feel like she gets a lot of returns back. Kind of reminds me of Jess of just how much consistency she could have with the return.
Then also I think just her demeanor. Like, she doesn't get upset. I didn't see her get upset at all, even maybe when she wasn't playing great at some moments, or sometimes I just hit like good shots. So I think that's another thing.
Also her movement. I felt like she's a pretty good mover, she can get to a lot of balls. She has good hands. She likes to come forward. So I think there's a lot of things she does well on the court, and she will definitely be someone that would be a threat to me and other players in the future.
Q. I believe your friends with Ravyn Lenae. I know she just released an album. Can you talk about how y'all became friends, and also have you listened to the new album?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I became friends with her when I lost first round Wimbledon, and she was in London at the same time. We both, out of the blue, just met up with each other. Just two young girls trying to be successful in different fields, and we just wanted to try to see if there's a friendship there. She's honestly become a really good friend of mine.
Of course, I listen to Blue Island, it's such a great album. I think my favorite is probably Barriers, that's probably my favorite.
So, yeah, go stream Blue Island, and, yeah, I love Ravyn so much. I think she's so talented and so underrated. I think her hit Love Me Not obviously brought more eyes on her.
So I'm glad that I can have someone that's friends, I've been trying to become more friends with people outside of tennis, just so I can have a break, and I'm glad that it's been so natural with her.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports