'Oh, people thought I was being serious?'

May 2024 · 3 minute read
Coco Gauff talks to the media

Coco Gauff has laughed off suggestions that she “was actually mad” over the cartoon – posted by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) – that made American players “look like hideous-looking people”.

To mark the start of the 2024 Australian Open, the USTA posted a cartoon – inspired by the animated television show The Wild Thornberrys – on their social channels.

The cartoon depicted Gauff as well as fellow American women’s seeds Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro while on the men’s side Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul also featured.

“Worst thing I’ve ever seen,” Gauff wrote in an Instagram Story.

“Like a caricature artist decided to make (us) all look like hideous looking people. The art style is cool for a cartoon show but not for a hype post. Foul.”

Pegula echoed her sentiments as the world No 5 replied: “Hahahahhaha we are ugly af.”

But the cartoon soon disappeared from the USTA’s X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram accounts.

Following her first-round win at the Australian Open on Monday, Gauff denied there was an angry undertone to her comments.

“Oh, people thought I was being serious, that I was actually mad with it?” she asked. “I realise TikTok humour is very different than Twitter. I saw somebody posted, like, there’s no way she’s that [upset] over it.

“I was like, no, I wasn’t mad. We looked awful. And actually, I saw Ben post first on his story. Then I DM’d Ben immediately and I was like, ‘What is this?’ Then Jess [Pegula] started texting me. We were just, like, laughing at each person, we were laughing at [Sebastian Korda’s depiction], I think Ben and Sebi had the worst ones.”

The reigning US Open champion also denied asking the USTA to delete the posts, but she did message them to ask what the thinking was behind the Thornberrys-style artwork.

However, she got blue-ticked as her message was read, but no one replied to her.

“They never responded. I got left on read by USTA, which sucks,” she joked.

READ MORE: Brad Gilbert reveals how a former world No 1 has helped improve a key Coco Gauff shot

Gauff defeated Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 6-0 in her opening match, but it took her a while to find her service rhythm with both players struggling in the first set.

After Gauff won the opening game, there were seven consecutive breaks of serve before the American wrapped up the set, but it was one-way traffic in the second set.

“I was a little bit nervous coming in today,” the world No 4 said. “You probably could tell. I was able to just calm down and then play my good, not my best, but good tennis from that point.”

As for her new service motion, she admits it will take a while to get used to it.

“I think it was more of a mental switch, just a slight change that we did, just helping me with the toss, being more consistent,” the 19-year-old said.

“I think mentally when I have the aggressive serving mindset, that’s when I play my best tennis. It’s not so much why my serve doesn’t come off hard. It’s more so why am I not going for it more.

“I’m trying to go for it more. Hopefully I can continue to have that aggressive mindset. I play my best tennis when I do.”

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