Coco Gauff isn’t afraid to speak her mind, especially when it comes to the power dynamics in professional tennis. “Only the top players like us can benefit, not those lower down. This doesn’t happen in other sports,” she stated, backing the PTPA’s (co-founded by Novak Djokovic) lawsuit against the ATP and WTA a couple of months ago, calling for more prize money in Slams, among other demands. Now, with back-to-back finals under her belt and a strong run at Roland Garros, Gauff is embracing her rise with a fresh perspective. And as she reaches the French Open third round, she opens up about the privilege she believes top players rightfully deserve, reminding fans that power on court also means power to drive change.

Coco Gauff cruised into the 3rd round of the French Open with a straight-sets win over Czech teenager Tereza Valentova on Thursday. The 21-year-old American, seeded 2nd, showcased her experience and tactical sharpness in the 6-2, 6-4 victory on Court Suzanne Lenglen. The former US Open champion also capitalized on her speed to push her younger opponent into risky shots, ultimately forcing errors that gave her three crucial service breaks in the opening set.

However, following the match, Gauff shifted focus off the court, candidly addressing the landscape of professional tennis. In a bold move, she emphasized the unique advantages that top-ranked players receive, privileges she believes are well-earned through consistent performance.

Speaking at the post-match press conference at Roland Garros, Gauff opened up about her approach to match scheduling at major tournaments, revealing her low-maintenance attitude toward requesting preferred slots. “Honestly, I’m not a player that requests a lot, to be honest. Like here, I could have put in requests on what day I wanted to play, and I didn’t care, so just let the fate decide,”

Gauff explained. “And usually I kind of mainly do requests mainly if I’m playing doubles, and I’ll request maybe to play earlier just so that if I have doubles, then if I’m not playing third on singles and fifth on doubles and I’m there late, I’d rather play first or second than doubles, but most times not really unless I did well in a tournament and then I’m playing the next week and/or really two days later, I’ll ask if I can play like the latest possible.”

Her relaxed approach contrasts with the intense debate swirling around scheduling at major events, particularly with the recent expansion of ‘Masters 1000 tournaments’ to 12-day formats. Gauff, who recently lost at the Italian Open, acknowledged that top players are often granted more consideration in these matters, a dynamic she believes is fair for the top-ranked players.

“Like, day for first rounds, but I guess over my career, like, for sure if you’re ranked a little bit higher, they’ll hear more of your input for sure, and I think, to be honest, it’s rightfully deserved,” she added.

This comment follows broader concerns about how the new tournament structure affects players’ recovery and quality of competition in the long run. Many feel that the first week of extended events lacks excitement, and that players are often forced to compete while nursing injuries just to keep up with rankings and prize money demands.

Gauff’s latest advancement in the French Open  is complemented by her candid insights into the realities of professional tennis, showcasing not only athletic prowess but also the emergence of a player poised to significantly influence the sport’s future.

Coco Gauff opens up on her performance at the Roland Garros 2nd round

Coco Gauff continues to carve her name into the French Open history books. At just 21, she’s become the youngest player since Maria Sharapova (2004–2008) to reach the 3rd round of the French Open for 5 consecutive years (2021–2025). Gauff has also proven dominant against qualifiers, winning 9 of her 11 GS encounters with them.

Despite her straight-sets win over Czech teenager Tereza Valentova, 6-2, 6-4, Gauff acknowledged areas she needs to improve, particularly on her serve. “I think overall it was fine, I think towards the end of the second set I could have been much more aggressive on the serve. The return game was pretty good,” she said during her post-match press conference at Roland Garros.

Though she landed 70% of her 1st serves, Gauff only won 19% of her 2nd serve points and was broken five times. “She’s obviously a great young player, I knew it was going to be a tough match today. Definitely going to practise (tomorrow) and work on things I feel I could have done a lot better today,” she later confessed.

Her next challenge is another Czech player, Marie Bouzková, who has also made it to the 3rd round without dropping a set, beating Anna Kalinskaya and Sonay Kartal. With both players showing solid early form, the upcoming clash promises to test Coco further as she looks to push into the 2nd week in Paris.