Coco Gauff a assumé son statut à Roland-Garros. Numéro 2 mondiale en arrivant à Paris et boostée par une finale au WTA 1000 de Rome, l'Américaine disputera sa deuxième finale Porte d'Auteuil, samedi, contre la n°1 mondiale Aryna Sabalenka. Elle a profité d'une partie de tableau plus ouverte, et n'a affronté qu'une seule joueuse du Top 10, Madison Keys, au cours de sa quinzaine. Jeudi, elle a écrasé la révélation locale Loïs Boisson (6-1, 6-2). Après trois échecs consécutifs contre Iga Swiatek dans la capitale, Gauff ne croisera pas le chemin de la Polonaise cette année. Alors, est-ce l'année ou jamais ? Après l'US Open 2023, elle court après un deuxième sacre en Grand Chelem.
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00:00BNP Paribas, partenaire des plus belles histoires de Roland Garros, aux côtés des ramasseurs de balles depuis plus de 50 ans.
00:30I'm going to savor this one and be ready on Saturday.
00:39Congratulations, Coco.
00:40Thank you.
00:41Obviously, you've been subjected to massive media attention from very early on.
00:45So if you just have a few pieces of advice to give to Lois, now that she has made this breakthrough tournament, what would it be?
00:51How can she handle all the new pressure and expectations around her?
00:55Yeah, I think her position is especially harder.
01:00Because I think she's in the French, there's not like, you know, a lot of players that have made this result in the recent years.
01:06So I think there's the whole country is going to be looking at, you know, everything.
01:11And I guess my biggest advice is just to, you know, stay true to yourself and the things that, you know, people keep your people what you around you, what they expect from you, not what media expects from you or other outside analysts expect from you.
01:24So, yeah, I think that's my only advice.
01:27I don't know her too well, but, you know, the fact that she's had such a great run and even with all the media attention that happened so fast, obviously, I think she has her head on her right shoulders.
01:37So, yeah, it's going to be probably a weird few months for her, but I think the more it happens, the more you get used to it.
01:46Hi, Coco.
01:47Congratulations.
01:48So your second French Open final now, looking back to your first, how do you remember how you feel like you handled any nerves and the occasion?
01:59And is there anything you can you'll you'll take take from that and maybe learn ahead of this one?
02:05Yeah, my first final here, I was super nervous.
02:08And, you know, I kind of wrote myself off before the match even happened.
02:11And obviously here I have a lot more confidence just from playing a Grand Slam final before and being doing well in one.
02:19So, yeah, I think going into Saturday, I'll just give it my best shot, try to be as calm and calm and relaxed as possible.
02:28And, yeah, whatever happens, happens.
02:30And knowing that, you know, I put, you know, the best foot effort forward.
02:35Congratulations, Coco.
02:36Thanks.
02:36What is, I guess, you think, in your opinion, having played her recently too and just seen her results, what has made Arena such a dominant player on the tour?
02:44What do you think it is that she's been, because on the rankings, like points wise, she's got a pretty big gap between herself and I guess you at number two.
02:50Yeah, I think obviously like her ball striking, she can come up with some big shots and big winners pretty much at all areas of the court.
02:58So I think her ball striking and also her mentality, she's a fighter as well.
03:02She's going to stay in the match regardless of the scoreline.
03:05And so, yeah, I think that both like her ball striking, serving and mentality and obviously there's a lot of things, but those are the main three, I would say.
03:15Well done, Coco.
03:16Thanks.
03:16How do you keep like a big moment like Saturday small enough so that it's manageable?
03:26You've had some big moments in the past and risen to some of them and others, like you said, have been difficult.
03:31What do you know now about what you do in order to sort of keep it from getting out of control?
03:38I think just realizing how minuscule it is, like everybody's dealing with way bigger things in life than losing a final.
03:46So and also thinking, realizing that I don't, well, I don't know how big the draw is, but however many players will want it to be in this position.
03:54So I'm sure there's hundreds of players that would kill to win or lose a final.
04:00So just knowing that, making me realize how lucky and, you know, privileged I am to be in this position.
04:06And, you know, at first I thought it would be the end of the world if I lost.
04:09And, you know, the sun still rose the next day.
04:12So knowing regardless of the result, the sun will still rise.
04:14And especially being in a city like Paris, I was walking around the next day and no one knew that I lost and no one cared.
04:21Obviously, no one knows who, you know, some people know who I am, but, you know, not a lot and not everyone.
04:25So just realizing that, you know, how big the moment seems in our lives is not as big in the grand scheme of things.
04:34I like it seemed today that you were really striking the forehand very well and aggressively and putting her under a lot of pressure with that shot.
04:43And you're known for your movement.
04:45I just wonder, between, say, an example like Lois and Arena, do you adjust your tactics significantly from match to match, given that you can, I guess, do different things?
04:58Yeah, definitely.
04:59And obviously there are two different players and playing for Madison the other day.
05:02So I definitely do change it up a little bit.
05:05But I still think, you know, going into Saturday, I'll have to strike my forehand pretty well and both sides of the court, forehand and backhand, and try to come up with some big shots.
05:15So, yeah, but, yeah, I definitely change it slightly.
05:17But also, you know, you've got to have your core to your game and kind of stick to that as well.
05:23Hi, Coco.
05:24Hi.
05:25You've played Arena a bunch of times, of course, and on clay most recently, but also, of course, the U.S. Open final.
05:32What do you think will be the key for you on this surface and at this tournament?
05:41And how much for you going into a match like that is about what you are going to do versus how you plan to counteract what she does?
05:53Yeah, I think just trying to go for my shots and be aggressive.
05:57Obviously, she's someone who has great big shots, and she's going to come out aggressive.
06:00if she's going to come out swinging, and I think I just have to expect that and, you know, do my best to kind of counter that.
06:07But, yeah, I think the past experience that I've played her has been we had some up and down matches.
06:11We had some one straight sets and her vice versa.
06:14So, you know, anything can happen on Saturday, but I'm looking forward to it, and, you know, it's glad to be going up against the world number one, too.
06:22Thank you.
06:23Hi.
06:24Congratulations.
06:25Thank you.
06:26So, inside of this stadium, there are some, like, saying or, like, a sign which says victory belongs to the most tenacious.
06:35Yes.
06:36Do you think that it feels right, or what do you think is the most important, like, ability or skills to win in this stadium?
06:45Yeah, I definitely would agree with that.
06:48I mean, yeah, there's a lot of things, but that's definitely the most important thing, I think, in being resilient and having that mindset.
06:57Because we all, at the end day, like, we're all great players.
07:00We're all playing a Grand Slam.
07:02We're in, especially the later stages, you know everybody's a great player, and it really comes down to who can hold their own in those tough moments.
07:09So, yeah, I definitely think that's a good quote, especially on the surface, because, you know, Clay is pretty physical, too.
07:16It's me.
07:18We had Madsen Keys the other day here, who said that she has, very lately in her life, found a way to go to cities and actually explore them while playing.
07:30I remember you saying that you wanted to do that in future.
07:33Do you have the time?
07:34Can you actually do that nowadays?
07:36Yeah, it's tough sometimes to find the time and also the energy.
07:41But, yeah, I still try to do that, whether it's just even walking around for, like, 20 minutes.
07:46I think it makes a difference in your mental and takes you away from the sport.
07:49I'm someone who enjoys doing escape rooms, so I did two so far this tournament.
07:54Maybe might do another one tomorrow.
07:55But, yeah, I think it definitely makes a difference.
07:58And, you know, you don't want, you know, I don't want to, like, go back and go back home and be like, how's Paris?
08:04And I didn't leave the room, you know?
08:06So I just want to be able to say that I actually enjoyed my time in Paris off the court and not just on the court.
08:13I think it's something I'm still constantly working on and something I'm trying to evolve to do.
08:30And, you know, sometimes I think maybe I can play too aggressive and go for and start missing too much.
08:48So I think just finding the balance and, yeah, I think I've definitely gotten a lot better at that, hence the results.
08:54But, you know, I still think there's a lot to improve when it comes to that.
08:57I think you have the same gap between your first slam final and your second one
09:02and now between your second and your third.
09:04It was five sort of slams in between.
09:05I'm curious, do these feel like they're coming fast for you?
09:07Or does it feel like it was a long time since your U.S. Open final?
09:11In terms of your patience level, in terms of how life is going by, whatever you want to measure that.
09:16Honestly, it feels kind of fast, to be honest.
09:19U.S. Open doesn't feel like too long ago.
09:22But, yeah, I would say it feels fast for the most part.
09:27Obviously, there's a little bit of time in it.
09:29But I think just going on tour and also when you're playing the same schedule,
09:33you kind of get used to it and things go by so fast.
09:36I feel like my month, like my version of a month is so different than somebody else's version of a month
09:42just because most of the turn, like a Grand Slam is basically a month.
09:45We're here for three weeks.
09:46So, yeah, it goes by pretty fast, I would say.
09:51Yeah, but I'm glad to be here.
09:54I just wanted to ask about the escape rooms that you mentioned.
09:58Yes.
09:59Who do you do those with?
10:00What were the themes and how did they go?
10:04Did you escape?
10:05Yeah.
10:06We're one for one.
10:07I did one like a week ago.
10:11We got out of that one.
10:12And then the most recent one we did, we did not get out.
10:15We had one more clue left.
10:17Yeah, it was not my fault.
10:19My dad and I were the best.
10:20My mom and I did it with Chris Eubanks and he was there.
10:23Them two were the worst.
10:24I know when I invite my mom, she's not going to be great.
10:26She's just there for the vibes.
10:27But Chris, Chris, I expected a little bit better to be just considering he claims he's good at escape rooms.
10:33But yeah, they're fine.
10:35I think I'm pretty good.
10:36But the first one I did last week, my team carried.
10:38I wasn't that good.
10:39And what were the themes, sorry?
10:41Oh, themes.
10:42The first week, we had to find like the doctor that was like experimenting on humans and prove it.
10:49And then the next one, some subway was blowing up and we had to fix it.
10:54And I didn't know how to read a subway map.
10:56So that's why the guy, the clue was like, read the map is going north and switch to change.
11:01And I had no idea what that meant because I don't really ride the Metro that much and I never rode it in Paris.
11:07And so the teams are you and your dad against your mom and Eubanks?
11:11Yeah. Yeah. We're together. Yeah.
11:13Okay.
11:14We'll do that next time.
11:20Thanks.
11:21What do you remember of that last Grand Slam final against Arena?
11:27And like when both sort of on the court and off it, walking on, walking off, sort of how that whole evening unfolded?
11:36Yeah. Honestly, it was one of those matches that felt like an outer body experience.
11:41Like I don't remember much, to be honest.
11:43I do remember like one point, I think I had like a back and cross passing shot.
11:47And I felt like that was like the momentum switch of the match.
11:50But I just remember running a lot.
11:52And yeah, just fighting for every point.
11:55Honestly, I wasn't that nervous going into that final.
11:58Just, I don't know, I felt like that I woke up that day and I just felt like regardless of what was going to happen, I was going to come out with the win.
12:03And, you know, you don't always get that feeling when you go on the court.
12:06But I did that day.
12:07So, yeah, I don't remember much.
12:09But, you know, I just remember kind of holding, felt like I was holding my breath until the match point.
