Coco Gauff once again showcased her sportsmanship following her third-round clash at the Australian Open. She took a stand for her opponent Hailey Baptiste against her own fan, who heckled the latter during the match.
After two impressive rounds in Melbourne, Gauff contested against Baptiste in the third on Friday. The 21-year-old started slow, losing the first set 3-6; however, she bounced back into form in the next two to claim a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 win.
Along with the impressive win, a wholesome moment in Gauff’s on-court interview is making headlines. As the play unfolded, a Baptiste supporter in the crowd cheered her on by shouting, “I believe in you Hailey.”
Moments later, a fan backing Gauff retorted:
“No one else does.”
While the comment was intended to support Gauff, it did not sit well with her. The American promptly stepped in, gesturing for the heckler to stop as she defended her opponent.
In her on-court interview, she addressed this issue and defended Baptiste from the heckler, saying:
“Hailey’s a great competitor. So, to the guy who made that comment, we’re all doing our best out here and yeah, a lot of people believe in her. So, yeah, I understand you’re trying to root for me, but let’s be respectful. We’re all trying our best,” said Coco Gauff.
Coco Gauff got real on her play against Hailey Baptiste at the Australian Open 2026
“Not too many challenges. I think we’re both competitors so we don’t take any personal things on the court. We both trying to win and we understand that. But yeah, obviously we know each other’s games, but we honestly don’t really practice or play played that much. We’ve only played once.”
“So, honestly, I don’t think I’ve seen her play obviously a million times, but it’s always different when you’re stepping on the court and she plays so different to any other player on tour. So, I was just trying to be my best and to adjust,” said Coco Gauff.
