Wimbledon 2026 - Coco Gauff : "J’ai déjà reçu quelques commentaires haineux..."

Coco, c'est un incroyable match aujourd'hui, ça ne va pas votre l'année dernière, mais est-ce qu'il y a des positives que vous pouvez prendre de jouer en jeu ?

Oui, il y a des positives, j'ai évidemment super close et j'ai vraiment vraiment pensé à la dernière point ou je ne sais pas, la dernière point pour un moment, mais overall, je pense que c'était un positif pour moi, un match pour sure, je crois, je pense je pense, c'est difficile mais je ne sais pas, je suis heureux Ben ? What are you thinking about that point at this point ? I mean there's one thing to be like, oh why play a drop shot, but then I also think about how many points I won off the drop shot, so it's like, yes people who don't watch tennis are gonna be like why did you do that ? But at the end of the day, it's like, that's the choice I made, was it the right one in that moment ?

Maybe not but then also if I make it everyone's gonna say how clutch of a shot that was, so I think that's just tennis you lose some points off margins honestly the return came back like in a tricky place for me, and I didn't expect it to, I kind of, the bounce caught me off guard, so I just panicked a little bit, but I think it just takes moments like this to learn from and have a more of a clear concise plan of what I want to do, but at the end of the day, I left it all out there, and my only regret, I think I don't have any regrets, I think it's just obviously points I want to make better decisions on, but that's how you learn and become a better player David ?

You spent a lot of time at the net today winning a lot of points, where was I know you've done quite a lot of that this year, but was there an element of deciding that that was a strategy mid-match, or is that something you want as part of your identity on grass, particularly in the future ?

Yeah, I think I should do it more honestly, I think on grass is obviously a good play, and I'm maybe not hitting diving ball at least like Carolina, but I have decent hands, so for the most part, it is something that I want to continue to get better at on every surface, but especially grass, and I think it was I mean, I don't know, I think whenever you're playing someone who gets as many balls back as her, I think is I guess a tactic too, to try to end the point a little bit sooner, especially someone who slices, to try to take some of the trickiness out of it, so yeah.

Matt?

Hey Coco, what's going on today? Thanks. You said something the other day that keeps running through my head, I guess if you thought your faith and you sort of believed that these stories are written already, like I'm struggling with that today, like who would write something like this like one ball, and like how does it can you talk me through, like how do you think through what has to be like such a painful experience like today?

I mean, as much painful as it is from the outside, I mean, I think about I was down 7-4 in the second round, and I'm here in the semis, I had a point on my racket at a tournament, I don't know, didn't think it would be this year, I would make the semis, so it's not a painful story, I think you know, thousands of people would love to lose the semifinals at Wimbledon on match point, is this something I would love to experience again?

For sure, no, but I think that it'll make my next moment when I win a match like this even sweeter, I mean I had a match earlier this year, I saved six match points, so it's just one of those days where it just didn't go my way, and somebody had to lose, and unfortunately it was me today. Kevin? Because the way you played that sunset, going for your shots, going to the net like this, it felt from outside like you've unlocked something in your game, do you think this whole tournament might have been this, like you've unlocked your game again?

Yeah, I definitely think I'm progressing in the right direction with the serve, with being aggressive, there's definitely some points I regret maybe being some passive like on some of those three points, but it's going to take time and putting myself in these positions to unlearn habits and build new ones, and you know, you hate me or love me, you can't deny the progress that's been made this tournament, so I don't know, there's a lot of positives, it gets me excited for the future for sure.

Catherine? Hi Coco, great tournament.

Thanks.

I just wondered, is Carolina, you've played a bunch of times now, eight times I think, is she unique as an opponent?

Yeah, for sure, I mean, I always said that her, you know, she's obviously a successful player, but I think, you know, she's someone that deserves more success of how talented she is, and I think that, you know, we have the head-to-head that is leaned my way, but it's not an opponent that you want to face in any point of the tournament, and I have so much respect for how she plays and how she is off the court, and, you know, I don't know, it's just one of those battles that, you know, I'm honored, not honored, I don't want to say honored to lose, but like, it was just, I don't know, it's just, it's a match I'm going to remember for my career, and it sucks to be on the losing end, but like, even walking off the court, I was like, that was a lot of fun.

Fantastic. How do you get over a match like this, where it's so close, and you have match point, and how long does it take you to kind of get over it?

Um, I mean, I'm going to think about it tonight, I mean, yeah, I think I'm, I don't know, I never, I don't know when, if I've ever lost a match after having match point, or if I did, I don't remember the last time, so I don't, I don't know how long it will take me, but, um, I don't think that long, honestly, I think, yeah, right after, I was like, a lot of emotions right after the match, um, but now I'm just like, one decision away, maybe I'm sitting in this press conference in a different mood, and, I mean, I look at Roger lost match points here, um, Yannick, obviously, at Rolling Girls, so, every great champion has this happen in their career, and maybe this is something I need to, to be on their level.

Hi, Coco, tough loss, you're the only Grand Slam champion left in the draw, did you feel any extra expectations or pressure going into today's match? No, not at all, um, no, honestly, yeah, I didn't feel like I was the favour or anything, I mean, obviously, I have more experience, maybe, at these stages than the other people that were left, but, um, at the end of the day, we're all great, uh, athletes and great tennis players, so the pass is the, the pass, and I don't think it, it matters that much. James? Okay, hello, um, I wonder whether this run, this is the Grand Slam you previously had done the least good at, has this recalibrated how you think about Wimbledon?

Maybe you always believed you could win it, but do you now have greater belief that maybe one day you will? For sure, um, I definitely have more faith, and I, you know, I have a lot of things that I can improve, and yeah, I think, like I said earlier this, this week, that regardless of the result, it's a breakthrough tournament for me, um, needed something like this to have my belief at this tournament, and I'm definitely going to come next year with more confidence and hopefully a better player. Ken? Nice going despite today. Thanks.

Sorry to harp on it, but just getting back to the match point, I'm just wondering how much decision-making was going into that shot, I mean, happens on every shot, but I think Tracy Austin said on the BBC, you must have changed your mind six times, I'm just wondering.

Um, honestly, I didn't change my mind too much, I think, I feel like I, if I had to do it over, I probably would have just went with a slice for him down the line, because the ball bounce wasn't really, like, that high, so don't know if I would have hit a for him or not, I don't know, I have to watch it back, honestly, to say, but, yeah, I mean, it's tough, like, because it was on my match point, but, and then, Dave, this point happens at one on the tiebreaker, we wouldn't be sitting here talking about it, but it happened on match point, and it's just a learning experience, like, I know I can do better and improve on, on, on that, and, you know, going with a higher margin shot on a pressure moment, for sure.

Okay, last question at the back, then.

Yeah, just, uh, the next couple of days, are you the kind of type that shuts down for everything, social media, the TV, or will you be watching a final after a tough loss like this?

Um, that's a good question, um, sometimes I watch, and sometimes I don't watch, um, I don't know, we'll see when I get home, if I'm up, I might have it on, but it definitely, uh, I am one that, like, stings a little bit, especially so close, it's like, I don't want to watch, but also at the same time, I am a fan of tennis, and the, the girls who are, or, I don't know, yeah, the girls who are left, um, I think it's going to be a great match, obviously Carolina is great, and whoever she plays in the final is going to be great, so maybe I'll watch, maybe I won't, but, um, I'll be on online, I mean, I'm probably, you know, already got some, some hate comments and stuff, but it's okay, you know, just makes you stronger.

The hate comments you say? Um, you know, betters who lose, who are mad and stuff, it's the usual, but it, it doesn't, you know, it sucks, but it's like, whatever, um, I'll, I'll come on the winning end next time, and I'll, I'll be sure to tag them. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.