Coco Gauff est encore au rendez-vous des quarts à Roland-Garros. La n°3 mondiale, finaliste en 2022, a remporté ce dimanche une quatrième victoire en deux sets dans ce tournoi, cette fois contre l'Italienne Elisabetta Cocciaretto, 6-1, 6-2. L'Américaine est en grande forme et jouera son quatrième quart de suite à Roland-Garros à seulement 20 ans. Exceptionnel. Très mature pour son âge, la jeune femme n'a pas seulement parlé de son match en conférence de presse. Elle a aussi évoqué la fin de match très tardive de Novak Djokovic samedi. Le Serbe a conlu son match contre Lorenzo Musetti à 3h07 du matin. Gauff n'est clairement pas fan.
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:03 - We'll get started.
00:03 Coco, a very straightforward performance
00:07 out there today for you.
00:08 Just talk us through your thoughts on the match, please.
00:10 - Yeah, I'm really happy with how I played today.
00:13 I played her in Dubai and it was a little bit tougher.
00:17 So I'm happy that I took what I learned
00:19 from that match into today.
00:21 - Okay, we'll start with Rob.
00:22 - Hi Coco.
00:23 There was tennis this morning at three o'clock
00:25 with Novak Djokovic.
00:27 And it's a general theme in tennis throughout the slams
00:29 where tennis is going on after midnight.
00:31 I just wonder, should there A, be a cutoff
00:33 where tennis should not start?
00:35 And B, what can be done?
00:37 Because you're the stars,
00:38 you've got to play the next day and the next match.
00:40 What can be done to stop players playing
00:41 so early in the morning?
00:43 - Yeah, I think, I mean, I definitely think
00:45 finishing at 3 a.m. is like,
00:48 I feel like a lot of times people think it's,
00:50 you know, you're done, but really 3 a.m.
00:52 then you have press and then, you know,
00:54 you have to shower, eat,
00:55 and then a lot of times people do treatment.
00:57 So that's probably not going to bed
00:59 until five at the earliest.
01:01 Maybe six and then even seven.
01:03 So I definitely think it's not healthy
01:06 and maybe not fair for those who have to play late
01:08 'cause it does ruin your schedule.
01:09 I've been lucky I haven't been put
01:11 in like a super late finish yet.
01:14 What can be done?
01:15 I know on the tour side,
01:18 they're thinking about putting, you know,
01:19 matches can't start after a certain time.
01:22 I don't know if it's gonna be a grand slam role,
01:24 but I know on like the WTA tour.
01:27 And I think that's something to look at
01:28 and maybe if a match is going long,
01:30 possibly moving courts,
01:32 but then I know it's tough because especially here,
01:34 it's only one night match
01:36 and people obviously paid for those tickets.
01:38 So it's a complicated thing,
01:41 but I definitely think for the health
01:43 and safety of the players,
01:45 it would be best in the sport's best interest,
01:48 I think, to try to avoid those matches finishing
01:52 or starting after a certain time.
01:54 Obviously you can't control when they finish.
01:57 - Matt and then Aki.
01:59 So Matt is here, just raise your hand.
02:01 - Hey Coco, well done today.
02:04 Novak, Rafa, lots of other people
02:09 who win these tournaments have talked about
02:11 in grand slams sort of trying to get better
02:14 with each match and improving
02:17 and sort of finding their game, finding their rhythm.
02:20 I mean, you play a lot.
02:22 Is that also your approach when you're in a long tournament
02:25 or given where you are in your career,
02:29 is there something else that goes on
02:32 in terms of how you go from match to match?
02:34 - Yeah, I definitely think that that's what you wanna do
02:37 is improve through each match
02:39 and sometimes how you start
02:41 is not necessarily how you finish a tournament.
02:43 For me, last week, Rome was one of those
02:45 where I went in not feeling great at all
02:47 and then I left feeling good about my game
02:50 and this week, I feel like I've been managing
02:53 and playing well.
02:54 It's definitely, I feel, also tough conditions to play in.
02:57 I'm just really slow and muggy.
03:00 The weather makes you maybe not as hyped up for your match
03:03 and just naturally, so it's definitely,
03:06 I think for me, this week at Rolling Girls
03:08 has been a little bit different
03:09 than the past first weeks.
03:11 - Hi, congratulations.
03:16 In the construct to Novak's match,
03:19 he got the match finished really quick
03:22 and maybe you might be in a rush to play your match,
03:27 so how do you prepare
03:30 and how does it affect your mindset or preparation?
03:35 - Yeah, I mean, I figured that the match,
03:39 usually if you're after her,
03:41 you know it's probably gonna be a quick match,
03:42 so I figured the match would probably go an hour,
03:45 15 hour at the quickest.
03:47 I definitely wasn't expecting 40 minutes,
03:48 but it didn't really affect much
03:51 because I kinda knew and I re-planned for it,
03:55 so yeah, it's one of those things
03:57 that you kinda plan for the fastest case scenario
04:00 and I didn't feel affected by how fast it went.
04:03 - Just picking up on the question of late finishes
04:10 and health and safety and health of athletes in general,
04:14 Iga said we just accept basically what we're asked to do,
04:20 that there's no point in challenging it
04:22 when you didn't agree with it.
04:24 You see it in other sports like soccer,
04:27 people playing 80 games a season,
04:28 a lot of injuries and players' unions saying
04:32 the players can't take any more.
04:33 Do you think athletes in general
04:35 should have more of a say in this kind of thing?
04:38 - I mean, I think in a way, yes.
04:41 I think that we're the product essentially
04:44 and I definitely think,
04:47 I feel like tournaments are becoming more understanding.
04:50 Some tournaments are more understanding than others.
04:52 It's tough, but I think tournaments,
04:55 and I can't speak for other sports
04:57 'cause I don't know how their setup is run,
04:59 but I think in general, we should listen to the players.
05:02 More, I know there's a product to sell
05:03 and I know that there's certain things
05:06 outside of the control,
05:07 but overall, if there's a list of little things
05:10 as like the balls, if there's multiple players
05:13 and I feel like it was a lot,
05:15 complaining about the ball changing,
05:17 especially on the men's side every week,
05:18 I think that's something that can be considered
05:21 when it comes to tournaments
05:23 and the health and safety of players.
05:25 I obviously don't want to complain too much about it
05:30 because we are very blessed and privileged
05:32 to be playing for a lot of money
05:34 and there's people working real jobs
05:37 under worse conditions for less money
05:40 and just trying to get by.
05:41 So it's a balance between two things.
05:44 Yes, things can get better,
05:45 but also for me, it's more something
05:47 that you can probably privately, I would say,
05:49 I would complain about.
05:51 It's just tough for me knowing
05:53 where some of my family come from
05:55 and where things are.
05:57 I think about the people hearing this
05:59 and yes, if I was a person working,
06:02 I would be upset to hear players complain,
06:04 but I definitely think there's a balance
06:05 of saying publicly,
06:07 and I do agree that things can be ran better
06:10 behind the scenes,
06:11 and I think that tournaments are trying their best
06:15 and players are trying their best.
06:16 I just think we have to meet a middle ground
06:18 for the health and safety of everyone.
06:20 - Okay, we'll do three more here,
06:22 and then there was someone there,
06:23 and then we've got the front, yeah.
06:25 - Hi Coco, I just wanted to ask,
06:26 obviously you're playing doubles here as well
06:29 as you normally do.
06:30 How has the process been for you generally
06:31 in picking your partner?
06:33 Like what's the kind of thought process?
06:35 - This week, it was just last minute decision.
06:39 I really, I was trying to find an American to play with
06:43 because Jesse pulled out,
06:44 and obviously the Olympics are gonna be here,
06:46 so my whole plan at the start of the year
06:48 was to try to play with somebody
06:49 I could potentially play with at the Olympics,
06:51 and that was kind of last minute thrown out
06:54 because of Jesse's injury,
06:56 and I just wasn't even gonna play at first,
06:58 and then Taylor Townsend unfortunately had a,
07:01 rolled her ankle,
07:02 and then she texted me about playing with Katerina,
07:05 and I was like, yeah, I'll do it.
07:07 Obviously she's won multiple slams,
07:09 and the sport and me could have a good chance,
07:11 but I'm not putting too much pressure on it.
07:13 I wanted to play primarily just to get some clay prep
07:17 for the Olympics,
07:18 'cause that's something, an area I wanna do well,
07:21 so that was my focus for this tournament.
07:24 I will say in the future, we'll be playing less doubles,
07:27 but I'll still incorporate it every now and then.
07:31 - Okay, here, and then we'll finish down the front here.
07:33 - Hi Coco, Danish Media here.
07:36 There's a chance you might face Clara Towson
07:39 in your next match.
07:41 How well do you know her,
07:42 and what do you think of her as a player and as a person?
07:45 - Yeah, we played juniors together.
07:46 I don't believe we ever played each other in juniors or pro.
07:51 I have to double check that,
07:52 but I have practice with her,
07:55 and yeah, I think she's a great player,
07:57 and she's a solid ball striker,
07:59 and she's having a great tournament,
08:01 so it's very likely that I can face her.
08:04 She's playing, you know,
08:05 Hans, who's also a great opponent, and as a person.
08:08 I haven't spoken to her a lot,
08:10 but every time I do have brief interactions with her,
08:12 she's super nice,
08:13 and one of my friends that I grew up with
08:17 is best friends with her,
08:18 so I'm sure she's a super nice girl.
08:20 We just haven't had the chance
08:21 to have our paths crossed too much.
08:24 - All right, last one.
08:25 - Hey Coco, this one goes back to way before your time,
08:28 but celebrating the 50th anniversary
08:30 of Chrissy's first title here.
08:32 - Oh, cool.
08:32 - Just wondering how much you know about the legacy
08:34 she left behind your seven titles.
08:36 I think she was 72 and six lifetime at RG,
08:39 you know, the OG queen of clay.
08:41 And if you have any thoughts on her career
08:43 and what she's leaving behind here.
08:44 - Yeah, it's obviously a great career,
08:46 and I know well about her record here.
08:49 And yeah, especially, you know,
08:50 there's not something like Americans
08:52 necessarily too well here.
08:54 I think her and Serena are probably one of the few
08:58 with multiple on there, so, for Americans.
09:01 So yeah, and Chrissy is a great person.
09:04 I've gotten to know her over the last year
09:07 and everything that she's dealing with
09:09 in her personal life.
09:10 I commend her for just being still active in the sport
09:15 and she reaches out to me a lot and still active
09:18 and just trying to make, I don't know if she speaks
09:22 to a lot of other players, but just help us
09:25 that are on tour right now and teaching us
09:28 from her experience.
09:29 And I think, I wish her all the best
09:31 and I hope, you know, I can maybe get one.
09:35 I know I probably won't get seven, but maybe just one.
09:38 But it's very cool, the legacy that she has here.
09:42 (upbeat music)