"I’ve always said I want to do more than just play tennis" - Gauff strives for an everlasting impact not just on the court but away from it

World number three Coco Gauff was relieved to up her performance levels in her second wound 6-2, 6-2 win against Olga Danilovic, as she discussed a leadership role in tennis and promoting it moving forwards.

On the court, Gauff looked good. While she struggled with her second serve, only winning 33% of them, the 84% of first serves won aided her massively enroute to reaching the third round for the fourth consecutive year at the Australian Open.

"It felt pretty good out there. I thought it was a straightforward win," she commented afterwards. "Olga’s a tricky player, but I’m just happy with how I managed today."

The American has a specific game plan: to be aggressive. She even went the extra mile at one point but had to reign it back in to an extent. "I think it’s about continuing to be aggressive. At one point, I thought I had to be ultra-aggressive, hitting completely flat, and I realised that’s probably not the right style for me," she stated.

"I still want to be aggressive, but with more spin—playing a bit more like some of the guys do, taking more space and hitting heavier shots, not necessarily flatter shots. With the way my strokes are, that just makes more sense for me."

It has been something that she has been able to achieve. "So far this year, I’ve been able to execute that," Gauff signalled. "It’s about being comfortable with that style, but also not being too passive in tight moments and making sure I accelerate when I need to."

It was a similar scoreline to her opening round win against Kamilla Rakhimova, where she dropped one game more against the Uzbekistani. She was affirmative in saying that her match against Danilovic was a better showing on court.

"Today felt better. I felt better on serve and from the ground. I think that comes down to first-round nerves and also playing two different game styles. Even though my first-round scoreline looked straightforward, there were a lot of long games—10-minute games with multiple deuces. Today, I did a better job closing those games out quicker."

It was almost an all-American tie in the second round if the legendary Venus Williams was not pegged back by a resurgent Danilovic, but finally Gauff will face someone from her country with Hailey Baptiste a worthy opponent in the third round. She has so far defeated Taylor Townsend and Storm Hunter. However, Gauff is a totally different opponent, with the two-time Grand Slam champion raring to go against a good friend, someone she has known since the age of 10.

"I’m really excited to play her. Like you said, I’ve known her for so long. It’s always great to see people you grew up with doing well on tour and to face them in big matches," she said.

It has been a while since their last matchup - precisely the DC Open last-16 back in 2023 with Gauff triumphing comfortably enroute to the title. "The last time I played her was a while ago, and we’ve both gotten better since then, so it’ll be a different matchup. It won’t be easy, but I’m looking forward to it. I don’t even remember the first time I met her—I must have been 10 or 11 years old. So it’s pretty cool to be here now, both of us at this stage."

Gauff is one of the more outspoken players on the WTA Tour, not afraid to say whatever burning opinions come to her mind. The 21-year-old is one of the more well-known players given her huge tally of titles and deep runs, with the two-time Grand Slam champion seen as someone who will lead the sport over the next few years.

"I can’t speak from someone else’s perspective, but from my standpoint, I think the way I burst onto the scene and the way I’ve been active on issues in the world makes people more likely to ask me those questions," she acknowledged.

It is not something she is afraid of. "I don’t have a problem with that. I’ve always said I want to do more than just play tennis and affect the world in whatever way I can. I think I experience that pressure in a different way, because I was 15 or 16 years old speaking on issues in the world. So I feel like people are curious about what my opinion will be."

This is more than just a job for Gauff, it is a purpose which motives come from within her family. "I don’t think it was necessarily an expectation. I think it’s just who I am and how I grew up," she explained. "My grandmother was the first Black woman to attend her high school in Florida and was very active in the community in Delray. On both sides of my family, there were people who integrated schools. I’ve always felt that my purpose was to uplift the people around me, especially those who don’t have a voice. It doesn’t feel like pressure—it just feels like what I’m meant to do."