Gauff, on the absence of WTA matches at night session: "It's what the tournament wants"

Fernando Murciego | 28 May 2025 | 08.00

Coco Gauff and one of the controversies of Roland Garros. Source: Getty

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I like Cori Gauff, not only for her numbers and her tennis skills, but also for the charisma she exudes every time she is in front of a microphone. A transparent woman, a person who has matured at a different pace since entering the circuit at 14 years old, which has led her to not hold back in any response. At Roland Garros 2025, after passing the first test in the women's draw, the American had to face a couple of questions that will spark discussion. Here we highlight the most interesting statements.

Abundance of Americans on the circuit

"This means a lot to all of us, we support each other. Having your compatriots with you on tour makes everything much easier, people to call, go out to dinner with, and deal with this life. No one knows what this life is like except the players on the circuit. Having the opportunity to make friends, having them nearby to train with and even play doubles with is great. Being part of this means a lot, I think Serena has inspired us a lot to play tennis, including myself. It is commendable to put a racket in someone's hand: the more rackets you put, the more chances they have of doing great on tour."

Nervous before the debut

"I usually get very nervous, today I was also a bit nervous, but I think it was one of the least nervous times I've been in the first round of a Grand Slam. I suppose the anecdote with the rackets at the beginning of the match helped relieve some pressure. Today I wasn't nervous, I knew the conditions would be tough, it was one of those matches where I went in knowing it wouldn't be a pleasant day due to the weather. When you adopt this mentality, you feel better after not winning points as you would like."

To play doubles or not?

"I find the advantages mainly in the Masters 1000, it helps accelerate time, everything goes faster. Obviously, I was lucky to reach the final in the last two tournaments, so I didn't feel so bad. If you lose early and have to wait for the next tournament, that wait can be very long. And vice versa, the same. I probably wouldn't have gone home after Rome if I had lost early, so it's better to be at the tournament doing something, feeling like you're competing and not losing that edge. The downside, obviously, is the calendar, the waiting. The weather could also be a factor, slotting all that schedule in to feel fresh for singles."

Is it easier to win a Grand Slam as a teenager?

"It depends on where you are. For me, it was harder because I felt that my game and maturity, probably, were nowhere near ready to win a Grand Slam title, at least at that stage. However, everyone expected it due to the anticipation it generated. Let's be realistic: at those ages, players are developing, not many tennis players reach their full potential so young. Look at Sabalenka, although it wasn't that late either, because she's still young. People in our sport see it that way, in any other sport people reach their full potential a bit later. Obviously, if you're someone like Emma (Raducanu) who goes unnoticed, maybe it's a bit easier, because you don't feel that pressure. It all depends on the situation, on the publicity you have when you arrive on the tour."

The ingredient to be No. 1

"Consistency is the most important thing to be the world number 1, you have to win a lot. Aryna has won a lot in recent years, just like Iga did when she was at the top. It's all about having that consistency on the circuit, something you learn to manage each season. It's not easy when you win, even though it may seem so, but it's not. We're winning matches, playing many matches, you have to learn to manage this. To get to that point, you have to go through many matches, my game has to change, but this is achieved with experience and over the years."

The night session, only for men

"There is only one session at 8:15 p.m., I really don't think any girl would want to play at those hours or later, I also don't know what others think, but I think most would prefer to play earlier. Perhaps there's the possibility to schedule someone at 6:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m., but if there's only one night match and it's at 8:15 p.m… well, maybe there could be a women's match, but starting at that time, I'm sure no girl would want to start after the men's match, because that means starting at 11:00 p.m. or midnight. It all depends on each tournament, but here it seems to be what they want since most tournaments have two matches: one at 7:00 p.m. and the other after. I can't complain, it's the tournament's thing."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gauff, sobre la ausencia de partidos WTA en el turno de noche: “Es lo que quiere el torneo”