“It will force me to read more books”: Coco Gauff laments TikTok ban in US

Coco Gauff regrets the TikTok ban in the US but says it will ‘help her read more books.’ The world No. 3 continues her strong run at the Australian Open after defeating former gold medalist Belinda Bencic (5-7, 6-2, 6-1) to advance to the quarterfinals in Melbourne, marking her 8th Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance.

The 21-year-old has remained steady throughout the tournament. In the fourth round, Bencic posed a significant challenge, showing great confidence in the first set, but ultimately, Gauff’s pace proved too much for the Swiss player.

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After sealing her victory over Bencic – which sets up a quarterfinal clash against Paula Badosa on Tuesday – Gauff left a unique message on the TV broadcast camera lens, signing “RIP TikTok USA” with a broken heart. The social media platform was recently banned in the US due to concerns over its ties to the Chinese government.

“Hopefully it comes back. It's really sad. I love TikTok. It's like an escape. I honestly do that before matches,” Gauff said later. “I guess it'll force me to read books more, be more of a productive human probably. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise.”

Coco Gauff has over 750,000 followers on TikTok and initially thought she might avoid the ban since she was outside the US. “I honestly thought I'd be able to get away with it,” added Gauff. “I guess it's something to do with my number. I don't know. I have to do some research.”

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