When it comes to Grand Slams, Serena Williams had the least amount of success at the Roland Garros, winning just three titles (2002,2013,2015) out of her 23 major triumphs. However, apart from her little success on this court, Williams had been a victim of several boos and jeers whenever, she stepped onto the court at this iconic venue. In 2003, she was even brought down to tears due to this, when she was knocked out by Justine Henin. Reacting to that moment of getting booed by the spectators, she said, “I was really upset when they booed me. Once they got started, it was hard to make them stop.” The hostile nature of the Parisian crowd, especially while playing against French players, has been the talk of the town in this tournament over the last few years as well. Williams’ compatriot, Coco Gauff is all set to take on Lois Boisson in the SF in just a few hours time. Is Gauff a bit worried about what she might face in this match from the spectators?
Well, during a recent press conference, she said, “I hope everyone will be respectful. If not, it’s cool… I can’t get irritated that someone is rooting for their hometown hero, because I would do the same.” Later on, she was also asked about how does she keep discipline of not reacting to the fact that the majority of the people in that stadium don’t want to win?
In reply to that, Coco Gauff said, “There’s two ways I’ve done it in the past. Either A.) Pretend they’re cheering for you… or B.) Just using it and not letting that get to you. I’ve been in crowds where they’re 99% for me. So I don’t have an issue with it. I hope everyone will be respectful. If not, it’s cool. It makes sports exciting. I can’t get irritated that someone is rooting for their hometown hero, because I would do the same. It’s just something I’ll mentally prepare for, expect, and be ready for.”
Gauff says she will not let the French crowd get to her when facing Lois Boisson at Roland Garros, ‘I hope everyone will be respectful. If not, it’s cool… I can’t get irritated that someone is rooting for their hometown hero, because I would do the same’
“How do you keep… pic.twitter.com/mKUYxEbu4J
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 4, 2025
The post Years After Serena Williams’ Bitter French Open Experience, Coco Gauff Reveals Shocking Truth Behind a Nonchalant Mindset appeared first on EssentiallySports.
