She’s the U.S. Open champion. The very best paid feminine athlete on the planet. And a pissed off Floridian.
American tennis participant Coco Gauff has by no means been afraid to make use of her voice.
Not when she delivered an impromptu speech at a Black Lives Matter rally on the age of 16. And never now at age 20 when she’s making ready to vote for the primary time in a U.S. presidential election later this yr.
Gauff, who will likely be among the many favorites when the French Open begins on Sunday in Paris, addressed the present political local weather in her residence state throughout a current interview with The Related Press.
She famous that it is “a loopy time to be a Floridian, particularly a Black one at that.”
“We aren’t proud of the present state of our authorities in Florida, particularly every part with the books and simply the best way our workplace operates,” Gauff mentioned, referring to a two-year-long controversy over banning books from the state’s colleges that began with a invoice signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis backtracked on the regulation final month, when he signed a invoice narrowing its focus. He blamed liberal activists for abusing the regulation, not the residents whose objections to sure books account for almost all of ebook removals from faculty libraries and school rooms.
“On the finish of the day, it comes right down to the youth and the neighborhood being outspoken,” Gauff mentioned on the Italian Open final week. “So I encourage everybody to vote, and use your voice no matter who you vote for. There’s no level in complaining (about) the political local weather of the world in case you don’t train your proper to vote.”
Gauff has been talking out on racial injustice and police brutality ever since that speech in 2020 in entrance of Metropolis Corridor in her hometown of Delray Seaside.
“I really feel like typically in my technology, folks assume their vote doesn’t depend,” Gauff mentioned. “We must always simply all simply use our voices and use the facility that we’ve.”
Responding in an e mail when requested about Gauff’s feedback, DeSantis’ workplace selected to not instantly deal with Gauff’s considerations, and as a substitute mentioned the state is “thriving.”
Gauff is just not campaigning for anybody particularly for the overall election.
“I’ll go away who I vote to myself,” she mentioned. “I’m not publicly backing any candidate.”
Nonetheless, Gauff stays a public determine within the Delray Seaside neighborhood. In March, she unveiled refurbished courts on the public park the place she performed as a child. And she or he’s been enjoying with the coordinates of these Pompey Park courts inscribed on the toes of her left tennis sneaker.
On the toes of her proper sneaker is a quote from Gauff’s father, Corey: “You possibly can change the world together with your racket.”
TEEN SUCCESS
On the U.S. Open in September, Gauff grew to become the primary American teenager to win the nation’s largest tennis event since Serena Williams in 1999.
Helped by her title in New York, Gauff grew to become the world’s top-earning feminine athlete final yr with $22.7 million in prize cash and endorsements, in keeping with the sports-business outlet Sportico.
She had already burst onto the scene at 15 by turning into the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon historical past after which making it to the fourth spherical in her Grand Slam debut in 2019. Then she reached her first main closing on the 2022 French Open, ending because the runner-up to Iga Swiatek.
SNAILS AND HOT CHOCOLATE
Regarding that loss to Swiatek at Roland Garros in 2022, Gauff feels she has some unfinished enterprise in Paris.
As a result of Paris is her favourite metropolis.
The town she traveled to for the primary time at age 10 when she was invited to coach on the academy run by Patrick Mouratoglou, Williams’ former coach.
The town the place she gained her first junior Grand Slam title by elevating the French Open women’ trophy in 2018.
“I fell in love with town as a result of I went at such a younger age and it felt so magical and I feel that feeling has simply stayed with me,” Gauff mentioned.
Whereas she’s nonetheless studying to talk French — “I’ve been on and off studying since I used to be actually 10 years outdated. However at some point I’ll get there hopefully” — Gauff has developed a style for Paris’ culinary delicacies.
So what does she prefer to eat within the French capital?
“Loads of croissants, clearly. I do like escargot. I do know it’s like a hit and miss between some folks, however actually don’t thoughts the snails an excessive amount of,” Gauff mentioned. “Crème brûlée is good. And foie gras is good. And scorching chocolate. They’ve good scorching chocolate in Paris.”
MEETING ZENDAYA
An anticipated assembly between Zendaya — who headlines the tennis film “ Challengers ” — nonetheless hasn’t occurred.
Brad Gilbert, Gauff’s coach, was Zendaya’s tennis advisor for the film, and the actress not too long ago mentioned that she wished to fulfill Coco.
“It’s form of in her courtroom,” Gauff mentioned. “I don’t actually know as a result of we’re each busy. However it can occur. I simply don’t know when.”
Zendaya despatched Gauff flowers as congratulations for her U.S. Open title after Gilbert offered the participant’s residence deal with.
So may Gilbert act because the go-between for a Zendaya-Gauff assembly?
“I feel Zendaya has far more pull than Brad does,” Gauff mentioned with amusing.
OLYMPIC GOALS
It’s not simply the French Open title that the third-ranked Gauff is chasing at Roland Garros this yr. She additionally desires gold — multiple — on the Paris Olympics.
Tennis will likely be performed at Roland Garros in the course of the Olympics and Gauff is additional motivated, having missed the Tokyo Video games after testing constructive for the coronavirus.
“It’s on the high of my aim board,” mentioned Gauff, who desires to play singles, doubles and combined doubles. “Getting a medal would imply nearly as (a lot as) a Grand Slam. I might select a Grand Slam extra however I might select perhaps a doubles gold medal over a doubles slam. … I simply need to win a medal.
“It’s simply one thing distinctive that I can relate to, like a observe athlete or a gymnastic athlete,” Gauff added.
Whereas Gauff doesn’t plan on staying within the Athletes Village fulltime — “as a result of I heard the village is much from Roland Garros” — she nonetheless has a listing of Olympians from different sports activities who she desires to fulfill.
Simone Biles tops the listing, then there’s Sha’Carri Richardson and Katie Ledecky.
“Possibly a few of the WNBA gamers, too,” Gauff added. “I don’t know if Caitlin Clark goes to make the USA crew, however that will be cool.”
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Related Press author Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed to this report.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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