Coco Gauff's father has been a noticeable absentee from her box during her Australian Open matches, and she has now explained why that is the case.
Gauff is seeking to win a second Grand Slam in a row after her historic US Open triumph last year, and she has looked in excellent form so far during her run at the Australian Open.
The 19-year-old is into a maiden Australian Open quarterfinal. Gauff produced a very strong performance in her fourth-round against Magdalena Frech to win comfortably, and she is yet to drop a set so far at the event.
Gauff had been on a 10-match winning streak at Grand Slam events before her contest with Frech, which put her in some esteemed company. That record now stands at 11 in a row, and she will hope to make it 12 in her quarterfinal against Marta Kostyuk.
However, many noticed that her father was not in Gauff's box to witness her sparkling tennis. She was asked about this in her fourth-round post-match interview and said her dad's superstition after doing the same at the US Open is part of it.
"I'm not superstitious at all, he's incredibly superstitious at all. Wimbledon was probably the last time I'll ever see him in my box. I don't think he's ever coming back."
Gauff also explained that her mother is better at keeping her emotions in check compared to her dad, who can sometimes say things that make the 19-year-old irritated.
"My mum does better at holding her nerves in the box. Sometimes my dad says some words that I can't say right here. And then I hear them and I get mad."
Last year's champion in Cincinnati then said that she has gotten clearer about what she wants on and off the court throughout her career.
"I've definitely been more vocal about what I want on and off the court. Yeah, at first, like 15, 16, my parents were doing a lot of it for me so I could focus on tennis."
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