Coco Gauff once revealed how she felt about facing criticism after sharing a public plea to end gun violence in the United States. The American explained why she felt it was important to raise her voice about such issues, even when people doubted her ability to make a difference.
Gauff was in stellar form at the 2022 French Open, as she defeated Martina Trevisan 6-3, 6-1 in the semifinals to set up a blockbuster title clash with Iga Swiatek. Although she had reached her maiden Grand Slam final, the American chose to dedicate her camera message to victims of the tragic shooting at a Tulsa medical center and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, by calling for an end to gun violence.
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"Peace. End gun violence," Gauff wrote.
Weeks later, Coco Gauff stood by her decision to pen the strong message in an interview with The Guardian ahead of her campaign at the Wimbledon Championships. She acknowledged the backlash over the move as people argued that her message would not bring about any real change.
"I don’t really care about the praise or the backlash. Obviously there was some backlash. People are like: 'Oh, what’s one message going to change anything?'" Gauff said.
Nevertheless, the American defended herself by pointing out that her message could influence politicians who had the power to reduce gun violence. Gauff also said she didn't pay attention to the praise or the backlash because her intent had been to pay tribute to victims of such attacks.
"And I mean, I understand me writing on the camera isn’t going to change or stop gun violence from happening. But it’s all about getting the message out there and getting to the people in office who have the actual power to change this," she said.
"I know one thing is not going to change anything, but it’s not about me. It’s about the bigger picture. So when I write these things, I don’t care about the praise or the backlash that I get because I didn’t write it for me. I wrote it for those people who lost their lives not only this year, but in the past," she added.
Amid the backlash, Coco Gauff received glowing praise from Billie Jean King, who asserted that "sports is politics." The then-18-year-old said she was "super thankful" for King's kind words.
"I’m not delusional, but I think it could change some people" - Coco Gauff on using her platform to speak about important issues
In the same interview, Coco Gauff disclosed that she felt the responsibility to use her platform to speak out about issues like gun violence. The American has often credited her grandmother for teaching her the significance of raising her voice about important matters.
"I’m thankful for the platform that I have and I know how many people that it reaches. I’m aware of that. So I try to make sure I use it to speak out about issues that can maybe slightly change some things. You know, I don’t think I’m going to change the world. I’m not delusional, but I think it could change some people in the world," Coco Gauff said.
On the tennis front, Gauff arrived at the Wimbledon Championships after suffering a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open final.
The American was hoping to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the grasscourt Major. But Coco Gauff recorded an early exit at SW19, as Amanda Anisimova claimed a 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-1 victory in their third-round clash.
