Coco Gauff recently expressed her admiration and respect for three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray for standing up for women's players.
Murray is undoubtedly one of the best British tennis players of all time, but he's also renowned for enraging qualities outside the court. He is also the only top ATP player who has actively championed gender equality in sports in terms of pay, representation, and recognition.
The most notable occasion when Murray portrayed his unapologetic advocacy of feminism was at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, in an interview that has since stuck in the back of Gauff's mind as she explained during her Italian Open post-match press conference.
Murray lost to Sam Querrey that year, and when a journalist described the big-serving Querrey as the first American player to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon since 2019, he immediately corrected him, saying, "male player" because Serena Williams had been to a Wimbledon semifinal in that time.
"Yeah, my favorite video of him is at the press conference in Wimbledon where he was, like, the first male player. Honestly, it happens a lot in tennis where people say a stat, especially with the guys. I'll be like, Well, I did it (smiling). It's good when they specify."
"I think for what he's done with the women's game, him and his mother as well, have done a lot. I would say he's one of the first male players to speak up about it."
This is expected to be Murray's final season on tour, and while Gauff will miss seeing him on the court, she was full of praise for the 36-year-old's resilience and on-court demeanor. The 20-year-old believes that a lot of players can learn from Murray's undiluted passion for the sport and not complain.
"I think you'll see him playing challengers or on Centre Court Wimbledon, and he's still giving it 100% of his all, which is something rare to see, especially when you're later in your career, somebody giving it their all, no matter who's watching. Could be in the back court or the center court."
"I think a lot of players should learn from that. I think he's just someone who doesn't care about courts or where he's playing. He just wants to play. I think a lot of players can learn from that."
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