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American tennis star Coco Gauff was asked about her thoughts on the state of the United States a year into President Donald Trump’s second term at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Gauff had previously been outspoken against Trump, but expressed hope for peace in the future.
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Coco Gauff of the United States plays a forehand return to Olga Danilovic of Serbia during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
“I hope going forward that we can have a lot more peace in our country and more kindness in the way we talk to each other about different topics and things like that,” she said via The Tennis Letter. “Obviously, I’ve been pretty vocal about how I felt. At this point, I feel kind of tired of talking about it, just because it’s hard to also be a black woman in this country and have to experience things, even online, and see marginalized communities being affected. And knowing that I can only donate and speak up. I’m trying my best to do that.
“But, yeah, I’m hoping that as time goes on that we can reach a state that we’re not in right now, and we keep moving forward. I posted the video of Martin Luther King, and it was kind of like saying, ‘We’ve got to keep moving forward,’ even though things may not be as calm as I’d like them to be right now.”
Gauff last spoke about Trump after she won the French Open last June, saying the outcome of the 2024 presidential election was a “down period.”
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Coco Gauff of the United States plays a backhand return during a practice session ahead of the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
“I remember after the election and everything, it kind of felt like a down period. My mom told me during Riyadh, try to win the tournament just to give people something to smile about. That’s what I was thinking about today,” Gauff said at the time.
Despite the “down period” comment, Gauff said she is “definitely patriotic.”
“Some people might feel somehow to be patriotic and stuff, but I’m definitely patriotic. I’m proud to be an American. I’m proud to represent Americans who look like me and people who kind of support the things that I support,” Gauff added.
She has reached the third round of the 2026 Australian Open after defeating Kamilla Rakhimova and Olga Danilović in her first two matches.
Coco Gauff of the United States in action against Kamilla Rakhimova of Uzbekistan in the women’s singles first round at the Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park on January 19, 2026. (Mike Frey/Imagn Images)
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Gauff will take on American Hailey Baptiste in the third round.
