Coco Gauff disclosed her chat with Michelle Obama at the US Open.
The former First Lady of the United States was watching the teenager play inside Arthur Ashe Stadium with husband and ex-President Barack Obama in the early hours of Tuesday morning. They witnessed the sixth seed win an equally difficult and frustrating first-round encounter over Germany’s Laura Siegemund.
The 35-year-old committed several serve clock violations and failed to play to Gauff’s speed when the American was serving on numerous occasions during the third set, in addition to a seven-minute bathroom break. After her 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory, Gauff said a surprise conversation with the Obamas helped settle her after a tough match.
“I actually just met them right before I came in here so my mood is a little bit nicer,” she smiled. “Maybe I'm saying nicer things than I actually planned on! That lightened my mood so much. I went from being really upset after a win to being really happy. So I'm glad I got to meet them.
“They gave me some good advice, too. They just told me how I handle myself in these situations. She said it's good to speak up for myself. I think she was happy that I spoke up for myself today.” When Gauff was leading in the third and deciding set 3-0 with the score locked at deuce, Siegemund put her arms up to signal she wasn’t ready.
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Gauff had had enough and proceeded to tell chair umpire Marijana Veljovic: “She’s never ready when I’m serving. She went over to talk like four times, you only gave her a time violation once. How is this fair? You’re calling the score after the point is over, it’s not like we’re playing long points. You’re calling the score like six seconds after the point is over!
“You have missed her like four times. She’s never ready! It’s not like we’re having, like 30-ball rallies. It’s two balls…I’m going at a normal speed! Ask any ref here, I go at a medium-pace speed,” Gauff continued. “She can’t [go back] every single point. And everybody in this crowd knows I’ve been quiet this whole match. … That first set, it was like every point. I didn’t say nothing, but now it’s ridiculous. I don’t care what she’s putting on her serves, on my serves she has to be ready.”
Gauff said she had a chat with former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama after her victory (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)The crowd, who like Gauff were agitated by Siegemund’s tactics, jeered her throughout and post-match she was in tears and claimed the fans "had no respect for me." “This is something that I have to say hurts really bad. There is no doubt that I’m slow. I should be quicker,” the former US Open women’s and mixed doubles champion said.
“But at the same time, it’s how I play. They treated me like I was a bad person. I won here two times [in doubles and mixed doubles], every minute of every game I’ve played here, [I leave] everything out on the court and this is how they treat me?
"In a match like that? Full stadium. Against Coco, who won two tournaments recently. And that’s the kind of performance I play? That’s why I play tennis. But to be treated like that. I mean, I would only come back because this is a Slam. But for sure, not for the people, to give them a show. If they are like this, they don’t deserve a show.”
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