Coco Gauff faced a heartbreaking loss at her first Wimbledon semifinal on Thursday to Karolina Muchova, but during the postmatch news conference, she defiantly addressed the possibilities of receiving hostility online. The world No. 7, however, asserted that such comments would only make her stronger.
Gauff rode into the Wimbledon semifinal on the back of a well-executed grass court season, most notably defeating her former doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, in a quarterfinal on Tuesday. Her run at the All-England Club, however, came to an end when Karolina Muchova stopped her dead in her tracks with a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) win. The match lasted for a grueling two-and-a-half hours.
Gauff addressed the devastating defeat after the match. When asked how she planned to spend her next few days and if she was considering completely unplugging herself from social media, Gauff said that she is unsure about watching the Wimbledon final but said that she is a fan of the sport and will continue to root for the women involved.
“That’s a good question. Sometimes I watch, and sometimes I don’t watch. I don’t know. We’ll see. When I get home, if I’m up, I might have it on. I am one that, like, stings a little bit, especially so close, I don’t want to watch. Also, at the same time, I am a fan of tennis. The girls who are left, I think it’s going to be a great match. Obviously, Karolina is great. Whoever she plays in the final is going to be great. Maybe I’ll watch; maybe I won’t. I’ll be online.”
Gauff then admitted that she had been speculating that her feeds would be filled with toxic comments from bettors who lose their wagers, but assured the tennis world that the hostility would not have the power to put her down:
“Probably already got some hate comments and stuff. It’s ok. Just makes you stronger.”
Answering a follow-up question, Gauff said:
“Bettors who lose who are mad and stuff. It’s the usual. It sucks, but it’s like, whatever. I’ll come on the winning end next time, and I’ll be sure to tag ’em (smiling).”
Coco Gauff Praises Karolina Muchova After Wimbledon Semifinal Defeat
During the news conference, Coco Gauff hailed Karolina Muchova’s game and reflected on the grueling semifinal match. While she acknowledged her dominant head-to-head record against the Czech American, Gauff did not hold back from saying that Muchova was the toughest opponent on the tour and an incredible person off the court.
“I always said that she’s obviously a successful player, but I think she’s someone that deserves more success of how talented she is. I think that we have the head-to-head that has leaned my way, but it’s not an opponent you want to face at any point of the tournament. I have so much respect for how she plays and how she is off the court.”
She also said that the semifinal was one of the most memorable of her career, saying that it would be an impossible match to forget, while revealing how fun it was to go through the grueling battle:
“It’s just one of those battles that I’m honored — not honored, I don’t want to say honored to lose. I don’t know. It’s a match I’m going to remember for my career. It sucks to be on the losing end, but even walking off the court, I was like, That was a lot of fun.”
Karolina Muchova has booked her ticket to her first Wimbledon final and will face fellow Czech player Linda Noskova on Saturday.
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