US Open champion Coco Gauff says she is committed to fighting for equality and justice and hopes she’ll ultimately be seen as “on the right side of history”, after being named as one of Time magazine’s women of the year on Wednesday.

Gauff has been outspoken from a young age, and grew up with activism engrained in her DNA, passed on from her grandmother Yvonee Lee Odom, who desegregated her high school in Delray Beach in the early 1960s.

As a 16-year-old, Gauff stood up in a Black Lives Matter rally and gave a speech and earlier this week in Dubai, the now 19-year-old told UAE’s The National newspaper she was advocating for peace in Gaza.

“I think it’s important for us as privileged civilians to do our research and just continuing to demand our leaders to make change and I will never not advocate for that,” said Gauff, who won her Dubai last-16 tie on Wednesday against Karolina Pliskova.

Gauff said she felt “honoured” to be named on Time’s list of Women of the Year and wants to follow in the footsteps of tennis legends like Billie Jean King, Althea Gibson, and Venus Williams, who have all fought for equality across different generations.

“I like to say I’m more than a tennis player. I feel like this sport is very popular in advocating for equality and justice. I feel comfortable doing that,” Gauff told reporters in Dubai.

The world number three said she wasn’t too concerned about any backlash she might face for speaking her mind, irrespective of the topic, adding: “My goal is to tell my grandkids that I was on the right side of history. That’s why I’m not too worried about that.”

– Gauff battles past Pliskova –

On the court, Gauff snapped Pliskova’s 11-match winning streak, claiming a hard-fought 2-6 6-4 6-3 win to reach a second consecutive Dubai quarter-final.

A champion in Cluj and semi-finalist in Doha, where she handed Iga Swiatek a walkover, Pliskova hadn’t lost a match since her Australian Open first-round exit last month, picking up 11 victories in 15 days across three countries.

Gauff, who won Auckland at the start of the year and made the semi-finals of the Australian Open, lost her opener in Doha last week and overcame a shaky start against Pliskova to reach her third quarter-final of the season.

With the help of eight double faults from Gauff’s racquet, Pliskova scooped the opening set in 30 minutes.

Gauff had an extended argument with the umpire Pierre Bacchi in the second set at 2-6, 4-2, deuce, complaining that he made a late call to incorrectly overrule her serve then refused to award her the point, despite Pliskova missing the return well before the late call was made.

Gauff repeatedly asked for the supervisor to come to the court but Bacchi wouldn’t relent. After failing to convince him, Gauff ended the five-minute discussion and held serve for a 5-2 advantage.

Pliskova saved four set points on the Gauff serve and broke for 4-5 but the American was unnerved and grabbed the next game to take the match into a decider.

A crucial break for Gauff in the eighth game of the final set was enough for the third seed to complete a tough win in one hour and 53 minutes and set up a quarter-final against Anna Kalinskaya.

“I don’t usually advocate that hard for things unless I’m 100 percent sure. I don’t want to get the reputation with the refs from US Open to here,” said Gauff, referring to an argument she had with the official during her US Open first-round match last summer.

When told she was right about Bacchi’s late call, Gauff said: “Okay, so I guess is he going to apologies? I’ll let you know.”

Coco Gauff recently opened up about paying taxes to the government of the United States of America ever since turning pro at the age of 14.

Gauff has set foot inside the United Arab Emirates to compete at the Dubai Tennis Championships. She made it to the draw as the third seed and received a bye in the opening round. She will take on Italian qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the second round on Tuesday, February 20.

Ahead of the match, Gauff appeared for an interview with The National to answer various questions. One of the things she touched upon was her finances. She has made nearly $13 million in prize money so far.

Gauff turns 20 on March 13, 2024, but has been paying taxes like an adult for the last five years.

I’ve always been aware that I had to pay taxes even when I was a minor,” Gauff said.

The reigning US Open champion’s father Corey Gauff has helped her understand the pros and cons of the financial world. She, however, suggested that knowing the amount that gets deducted from her purse is not very exciting and she wants to unlearn everything.

I’ve been paying taxes since I’ve been making money,” Gauff continued. “But just now, when I turned 19, my dad has made me more aware of how much I’m paying and how everything works with that world. I wish I could go back to not knowing how much is going away.”

Coco Gauff: “My father is helping me with every moment, he still gives me advice on the court”

Coco Gauff started her tennis journey under her father Corey’s wings when she was just eight years old. However, Corey has stepped back from the primary role and has opted to act more as a mentor than a full-time coach.

Gauff claimed in the interview with The National that she never anticipated such a shift but thankfully has Corey’s support in important things.

I feel like for me there was never a plan on when he [Corey] would take a step back. Like you said, he’s always involved and he’s helping me with every moment, making sure I have the right people in the team and he still gives me advice on the court,” Coco Gauff said.

She further revealed that Corey had already decided to step back once he helped her win her first Grand Slam title.

But for him, he always said like, ‘If I could help her, get to her first one [Grand Slam], that would be my time to step back’,” Coco Gauff added.

Over the past few months, Coco Gauff has seen massive ups and downs. From the highs of winning the US Open title to the lows of Australian Open heartbreak, the American sensation has gone through it all. Earlier this year, she bowed out of the Grand Slam Down Under in the semifinals, losing against Aryna Sabalenka in a nerve-wracking clash. Recently, Gauff revealed how she overcame the sorrow of the Australian Open defeat, and it was due to her boyfriend.

The 19-year-old is not very open when it comes to her personal life. She has kept mum on her relationship in a life that focuses the spotlight on her career. Here’s what she said about the post-Australian Open period.

Boyfriend’s presence helped Coco Gauff move away from constant thoughts of tennis
The recent weeks haven’t been easy for Gauff while recovering from the tough loss Down Under. She went home following her Australian Open exit and took a much-needed break. The American sensation received support from her boyfriend during this tough phase.

In an interview with Sky Sports, she said, “The first night, I was soaking all the things that went on in that match. I felt it was decided by a couple of points.”

Further, she went on to add, “And then, after that, I flew home, I took off four, five days. My boyfriend came in town and then I was really happy to get back on the practice court.”

"That's a flex!" 💪

Coco Gauff talks building her Dad's dream house 🏠 pic.twitter.com/xZI5lYHbsO

— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) February 13, 2024

This is not the first time Gauff has talked about her supportive boyfriend. Last year, she won her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open. A day before the final, nerves seemed to get the better of her. However, Gauff’s conversation with her boyfriend helped her overcome them and she went on to win the final against Sabalenka. Following the match, she narrated the events that took place on the eve of the final.

How did Gauff deal with nerves on the eve of the US Open final?
During the post-match press conference after winning the US Open title, the American sensation made a candid revelation about her boyfriend. It was a rare occasion to hear Gauff talking about her beau.

She said, “I just called my boyfriend, and I told him let’s talk until it’s time to go to sleep so we spoke until 1:00 a.m. and then I went to sleep. I woke up this morning. Yeah, when I lost the first set I still felt I was into the match and I said, you know, I’m going to give it my all.”

Gauff is suffering from loss of form as she bowed out of the Qatar Open in the round of 32. Can she come back strongly in the upcoming tournaments? Let us know your views in the comments below.

The fans experienced a wave of emotions as the dreams of seeing Coco Gauff lift her second grand slam title met a disappointing end. The young tennis star lost her semi-final match against the champion Aryna Sabalenka, postponing her aspiration to add another major title to the bucket.

Despite the not-so-happy ending, words of praise still surround Gauff as she manages to save herself from the disappointment and holds her ground to look forward. Noticing her current mindset, former American tennis star Andy Roddick came forward with a word of appreciation.

‘Coco will be a dominant server’ – Andy Roddick talks his heart out about Gauff
The fans knew right from the beginning that Coco Gauff had a firm eye to lift the Australian Open trophy. While fans have been on her side since the US Open win last year, they were quite concerned about her mental state when the events in Melbourne took an unexpected turn. However, despite facing a setback in the semi-final match, Gauff surprised fans by presenting a remarkable commitment to her game.

Analyzing these events, former tennis star Andy Roddick expressed admiration for her approach, stating, “Walking it out a month later in the biggest situation and not going back when it isn’t working perfectly.” Roddick praised Gauff’s dedication to sticking to what she learned, despite standing against a set of challenging moments.

Along with that, Roddick also projected a great future because of Gauff’s skillset as he got to spend time with her. “I think Coco will be a dominant server. Her control over her orbit and what’s going on blew me away right for someone who hasn’t quite turned 20. I was absolutely blown away,” he added, presenting a surprised expression over Gauff’s high spirit.

Besides appreciating Coco Gauff for her mental strength, Andy Roddick also talked about the level of fanship he has developed for the young star. He said, “I was miserable When she lost in Australia. I did never in my life thought I’d be waking up at 3:30 watching.”

Along with revealing his sudden punctuality to catch the match streams, Roddick also presented strong support for her. “I will show up for her any time she asks I am so impressed with her and I had a blast,” Roddick said. As the tennis legend shed light on Gauff’s resilience, the fans now see it clearer and better.