Coco Gauff says US tennis fans are 'worst' in one specific aspect

Sunday, 04 January 2026 at 15:55

byErik Virostko

Coco Gauff appreciates the support she receives from American tennis fans, but she was also extremely honest when asked about them recently.

Gauff is one of the most popular tennis players in the United States. She is always among the most marketable athletes in the world, and therefore also one of the highest-earning female athletes. All of that is thanks to her tennis and popularity.

However, her most recent comments might disappoint some of the fans, even though the 21-year-old was just trying to be honest. Gauff currently competes at the United Cup in Australia, representing her country Down Under.

During a press conference at the event, she was asked about the support from American fans. In particular, Gauff was asked whether she feels like she and her compatriots receive support when travelling around the world.

Gauff was candid in her answer, saying she feels like American fans don't travel the world as much as fans from other countries. For example, Iga Swiatek's and Novak Djokovic's fans are known for following them around the world.

"I'll be honest, no. I feel like we're definitely, in the tennis department, the worst when it comes to that. So I've always said I wish our country in other places would show up throughout the world as we see maybe smaller countries support."

During her answer, Gauff probably realized that her words might sound brutal to some of the fans. She tried saving it by saying that the fact that American fans don't travel as much might also be because the United States is so successful in so many sports.

"But I also think it's just because of our country is good in so many sports, so it's just hard. Yeah, I definitely think there are Americans that come out more in Melbourne than necessarily here, but I would like to see some more Americans, if we make it to Sydney, in Sydney than there were last year."

Gauff was then asked whether the lack of support might put Team USA into an underdog position at this year's United Cup. The American player doesn't feel that the lack of support changes their chances of succeeding.

"No, because we're the No. 1 seed, so there's no underdog in that standpoint. Yeah, we played Poland last year, and the stadium was still pretty rowdy. I think maybe necessarily if they're not Americans, I do think we get a lot of support from people who are just fans of us that may not be from U.S. But, yeah, I would like to see a little bit more red, white, and blue in the stands in these team competitions."

Tennis fans from the United States will now have a chance to prove Gauff wrong in 2026. She will be a contender for every Grand Slam this year, and while she will certainly be able to rely on the fan support at the US Open, the rest of the majors remain a question mark.