Coco Gauff has stated that it is important for her to be as good a role model as she is a tennis player.
Gauff defeated fourth Maria Sakkrari in straight sets to clinch the Citi Open title on Sunday. With a 6-2, 6-3 win in the final, the American bagged her maiden WTA 500 title.
After the win, Gauff spent a lot of time signing autographs and giving away souvenirs to the fans. When asked at the post-match press conference about how she viewed herself as a role model, Gauff stated that it was important for her to spend time with fans and ensure they don’t go home disappointed.
“Yeah, for me it [being a great role model besides being a great tennis player] is really important. I don’t know how much the ticket prices cost or anything, but for people to pay money to see me and wait after the trophy ceremony in this heat, to ask for an autograph, I try to sign as many as I can,” she said.
The 19-year-old recalled her experiences of going to matches as a kid and waiting for players to sign autographs, take pictures, or share memorabilia.
“A lot of them were kids. I remember being in that moment. Yeah, you know, a lot of people ask, they strip me from everything. Some people asked for my shoes, but I needed to walk. Some people asked for my bracelet. I was, like, This was a gift from someone. I can’t give you that,” she said.
“They asked for my earrings and hair ties and everything. Usually I don’t mind giving. I always try to. Sometimes I try to ration it out, because I am going to another tournament. Yeah, I love doing it,” she added.
Gauff further explained that the look of satisfaction on fans’ faces is well worth making a little extra effort to spend time with them.
“Seeing their reactions afterwards is what makes me really happy, just seeing kids just really enjoying me. Because I remember being in that moment. I love doing it. Also, I don’t know how much that small act of kindness can mean for someone. I know how much it meant to me, so I’m hoping that it means half of that for someone else,” she opined.
“Any American tournament is special, but I feel like even more here” – Coco Gauff on winning the Citi Open title
Coco Gauff was in sensational form all week in Washington. She defeated the likes of Hailey Baptiste, Belinda Bencic, Liudmila Samsonova, and Maria Sakkari without dropping a single set en route to clinching her fourth career title and second of the season.
The 19-year-old is the youngest champion in Citi Open history and only the third American (after Sloane Stephens in 2015 and Jessica Pegula in 2019) to win the tournament. She also became the first teenager to win four or more titles on the WTA Tour since Caroline Wozniacki.
Speaking after the match, Gauff expressed joy at winning a title for the first time on home soil, especially in Washington where she said she has fans from diverse backgrounds cheering for her.
“The fans, like, really love me here. It means a lot to me really. Any American tournament I think is special, but I feel like even more here. I have played Cincinnati and I have played other tournaments in the U.S., even last year in San Jose when this was in San Jose, I think that, you know, there is just something about D.C. People love me here,” she said.
“The diversity that the city offers I think also plays a role and factor in that. It’s just really cool to see a lot of people from different backgrounds really loving tennis and supporting women’s tennis,” Gauff added.
With the WTA 500 title under her belt, Gauff next heads to Montreal for the Canadian Open, which gets underway on Monday.
