"My little brother responded, ‘Coco never made you the captain in the first place": Coco Gauff shares light hearted story of little brothers pulling rank

Coco Gauff continued her strong run at the Miami Open, defeating Sorana Cîrstea 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to book her place in the quarter-finals.

The American has grown into the Miami Open with each match, and she admitted one of her key goals was simply to start stronger after recent slow openings. “The first goal is to win the first set because the last two matches I did it, and then I was up in the second and let her win, or not let her, she earned them, but five games in a row,” Gauff said on Tennis Channel.

“I was just happy to get through it and change the momentum really fast. I think overall I’m most proud of just mentally staying in there. As the match got longer, I was able to raise my level.”

Gauff also acknowledged the need to apply that intensity earlier in matches. “She did raise her level, and I think I just have to try to raise mine a little bit sooner next time.”

Encouraged by praise from Martina Navratilova, Gauff highlighted her desire to incorporate more net play into her game. “I think I should do it more,” she said. “When I played Elina Svitolina in Dubai, I was coming to the net a lot and winning most of the points.”

Reflecting on her latest performance, she admitted there were missed opportunities to move forward. “Today I think there were times where I probably should have gotten in a lot more. I feel like I’m so used to running from the back, but I’m also pretty quick forward and have a good overhead.”

Gauff revealed a simple mindset shift helped her close out the match. “On match point, I told myself just to go to the net. It doesn’t have to be the most outstanding approach. I feel like I have to hit almost a winner to go in, but sometimes it can be kind of in between and I can still make a good volley.”

Gauff’s elite movement was again on display, covering the court with remarkable speed, something she believes is both natural and still developing. “I definitely think it’s natural, but I’m trying to enhance it,” she explained. “The main focus is more on the footwork and trying to get better and more efficient with that. It’s nowhere near where I want it to be, but it’s gotten better since I came on tour.”

She added that refining movement patterns remains a priority. “Just trying to remember to use the best kind of stance and patterns is the main part. Then obviously just trying to keep the speed and keep being fast.”

With a smile, she added: “I definitely think I’m the fastest on tour. I want to keep doing that, but the goal is to move more efficiently and effectively.”

Gauff also shared a humorous story about her support team, with her brother Cody absent due to a baseball tournament. “He wasn’t there today,” she said. “He had a tournament, I think in Orlando tomorrow, so he couldn’t come.”

That led to a playful exchange about who leads her player box. “He told my little brother that he’s the captain of the box now that he’s not going, and then my little brother responded, ‘Coco never made you the captain in the first place.’”

Gauff laughed: “Cody’s definitely louder. Cameron’s only 12, so he doesn’t have the bass in his voice yet, but I definitely missed hearing Cody’s cheers out there today. Cody’s still the captain.”

Reflecting on her previous-round win over Alycia Parks, Gauff described the feeling of being completely in control during a match. “It definitely feels like what Aryna Sabalenka calls the ‘flow state’,” she said.

“I think today at 3-1 I was feeling like that and maybe felt it too much and tried to go for too much. Next time, just trying to stay in that state, you don’t have to go for more or less, just keep being in it if it’s working.”

She emphasised the importance of balance. “Once your opponent changes tactics, then you will too, but it’s about staying focused and on an even plane, not going too high or too low.”

Despite already winning some of the biggest titles in the sport, Gauff made it clear how much success in Miami would mean to her. “Outside of the Slams, it’s probably the number one tournament that I want to win, and then Indian Wells is number two,” she said.

“This is actually my first quarter-final here, which is kind of crazy because I’ve mostly had a bye in this tournament. I’m just happy to get through to this stage.”

Gauff admitted the result has exceeded her own expectations. “I definitely wouldn’t have thought that this year would have been the year I’d get to this stage, but we’ll take it.”

Gauff also reflected on her evolving mindset, recalling a phrase she recently used that continues to guide her. “I think I said, ‘expect nothing and believe in everything,’” she said. “Sometimes I don’t even realise what I’m saying. Even my US Open final speech was off the dome, and I didn’t even know what I said afterwards.”

Laughing, she added: “Sometimes I’m cooking.”

Looking ahead, Gauff remains relaxed about her schedule as she prepares for the next round. “I’m not sure if I play tomorrow or not,” she said. “If I do, I’ll just go home and do treatment and stuff. If not, I’ll take a day off and work on the things I felt I could do better today.”