Melbourne (AFP)
Coco Gauff signed the best victory of his short career at 15 years old Friday by eliminating the title holder Naomi Osaka in the third round of the Australian Open and explained to have "learned a lot" since his last duel against the Japanese , last year at the US Open.
QUESTION: What did you remember from your last meeting with Naomi Osaka at the US Open?
ANSWER: "The speed of her ball. She plays much faster than most players. At the US Open, I was not prepared for it. And today, I demonstrated that it is a sector on which I worked in the off season. I learned a lot from this US Open. Not only from my match against Naomi, from the whole tournament. I was on the limit, I had spent my first two rounds in three sets and I had to get used to the whole media aspect. Now I'm having more fun. And winning is the icing on the cake. "
Q: Now that you've eliminated the title holder, are you telling yourself that you can go all the way and win the tournament?
A: "Even before the tournament starts, every player, I think, thinks they can win. Some believe it stronger than others. So I'm not even wondering about the title holder because , at the moment, I’m only thinking about playing the ball. And that’s what I’ll think about tomorrow (Saturday) playing double and then the same when I play my single, I don’t even know when. always believe that I can win, no matter who my opponent is. "
Q: What did you say to yourself on the court, immediately after your victory?
A: "I said to myself + What is this life? + All these people who applaud me ... For me, it's new, I'm not used to it. But I'm sure that even the players who have won lots of Grand Slam titles each time they have an incredible impression when they come out of the court and greet the crowd. So yes, my state of mind, this is + What is this life? + "
Comments gathered at a press conference
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