Stepping away felt like clarity, but her return came with an immediate sting as the platform’s toxicity hit harder than before. 

Almost immediately, she felt the weight of the platform’s negativity, which overshadowed any positive engagement she might have expected. “deleted twitter for a month, came back today, and got instantly reminded why I should not be on here lol,” she wrote on April 6.

Her relationship with the platform has remained inconsistent, shifting between breaks and brief returns. She recently opened up again during the Miami Open after her Round of 16 victory over Sorana Cîrstea.

During that stretch, she stayed active on other social media platforms and even revealed that she picked up tactical advice online about approaching the net more often.

“Honestly, I saw a tweet that said I should go to the net more. I was like ‘Yeah, you’re right, I win a lot of net points’,” she added on court interview.

However, she later clarified the source of that advice when the topic resurfaced in her post-match press conference. “Yeah, actually, I saw it on Threads,” explained Gauff. “I got confused. It wasn’t Twitter because I’m on a Twitter break. Yeah, Twitter’s a bit toxic. So I actually haven’t been on in like a month or two months. So I saw it on Threads.”

Her return this time, unfortunately, aligned with a wave of viral discussion surrounding her latest campaign with Miu Miu.

The photoshoot featured her in a technical jersey polo shirt priced at $1,620, a matching skirt worth $1,590, brushed leather penny loafers at $1,220, and a standout Vivant Leather bag costing $4,200.

While the styling itself drew attention, it was her hairstyle that unexpectedly became the focal point of online debate. Gauff appeared in a sleek bun, embracing her natural hair, which sparked divided reactions across social media.

Some users criticized the minimal and classic aesthetic, while many others stepped forward to defend her look and celebrate its authenticity. The account that originally posted the images felt compelled to address the backlash with a strong message supporting Gauff.

“This Miu Miu campaign with Coco Gauff shows off her natural hair and effortless beauty. Yet some folks are out here calling a pulled-back style ‘civil rights era’ as if embracing your natural self is outdated. The real flex is loving yourself and how you appear, and Miu Miu tapped into that unapologetically with these photos. Coco is glowing, and that’s what really matters to us,” Athlete Vanity wrote.

In fact, this is not the first time she has removed Twitter from her phone in an effort to protect her mental space and focus.

Coco Gauff once quit X due to Love Island obsession

Last year, after her 6-3, 6-2 win over Xinyu Wang at the Cincinnati Open, Coco Gauff revealed that she had deleted Twitter from her phone. Her decision was not driven by trolls, constant match updates, or even a need to disconnect from the news cycle.

Instead, it came from something far more personal and surprisingly relatable. Gauff admitted that her growing obsession with the popular reality show ‘Love Island’ had become overwhelming.

At that point, she felt it was necessary to step away completely and reset her focus. “I had a real bad addiction. …I deleted Twitter last week because I was like, ‘I’m too involved with Love Island.'”

Even so, her eventual return to the platform did not go as planned, as she quickly found herself regretting the decision. That brief comeback only reinforced her earlier concerns about the environment on X and its impact on her mindset.

With the clay-court season approaching, her focus now shifts back to tennis and regaining full control of her game.

It remains to be seen whether she can fully move past the distractions of social media and channel her energy into performing at her best on court.