Coco Gauff on U.S. Turmoil: I Don’t Think People Should Be Dying in the Streets
By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, February 16, 2026
Photo credit: Jennifer Pottheiser/USTA
Coco Gauff served as United States flag bearer at the Paris Olympic Games.
While traveling the world playing the pro circuit, Gauff tries to follow current events in the United States.
Asked to assess the “weird news” coming out of the U.S. during her Dubai press conference, Gauff said while she’s “very proud” to be American, she’s disturbed by the violence occurring on U.S. streets in a reference to recent ICE shootings in America.
“Yeah, everything going on in the U.S., obviously I’m not really for it. I don’t think people should be dying in the streets just for existing,” Gauff told the media in Dubai. “I don’t like what’s going on.
“I think for me, it is tough to wake up and see something because I do care a lot about our country. I think people think I don’t for some reason, but I do. I’m very proud to be American. But I think when you’re from any country, you don’t have to represent the entire values of what’s going on in the leadership. I think there’s a lot of people around that believe in the things I believe in, believe in diversity and equality.”
The two-time Grand Slam champion said while she understands why many players are reluctant to comment when asked political and social question, she’s committed to speaking her truth.
The highest-paid female athlete in the world in 2025, Gauff said her grandmother, who was an activist, inspired her to express her view when she’s asked tough questions regardless of criticism and ridicule she might receive. Gauff said she believes it’s important to use her public platform to speak her mind when asked.
“I never feel torn when I’m asked a question. Obviously when you’re in a tournament, you may not, like, come out and do a statement or things like that,” Gauff said. “But I never felt torn when I’m asked a question because it is relevant. If you’re asking me, I’ll going to tell you how I feel.
“I think a lot of people on social media, on the other hand, like to say to stay out of politics, stay out of the things that are going on.
“You’re going to be asked these things in press. People want to hear our opinion on it. Some players choose to say no comment, which is also completely in their right. I understand that. Some prefer to state their opinion.
“I think the biggest thing I hate is when people say stay out of it when we’re being asked it. If you ask me, I’m going to give you my honest answer. For me, that’s my honest answer. I always try to always answer honestly. I have no problems. I lived this. My grandma is literally an activist. This is literally my life. I’m okay answering tough questions.”
Here’s the complete question and Gauff’s answer from her Dubai presser:
Q. Obviously you’re traveling the whole year. A lot of the times your time zone is completely different to home. You probably wake up a lot to weird news coming out of the United States. Same with us looking at whether there’s going to be a war or not. This past year in particular, when you wake up and see the President wants to get Greenland, people are getting killed, all of these things, what has this period been like? Do you wake up and look at the news? Do you try to shut it out? How difficult has that been?
COCO GAUFF: Yeah, I think for me as a Gen Z person, I get a lot of my news from social media. I don’t really watch the news. Actually here, because it’s one of the only English channels, I have been playing CNN while getting treatment.
I think while in Australia with all the stuff was going on in the U.S., I didn’t see it till days afterwards. I know some people were saying some things were being censored. I don’t know how true it is nor not. For me, I’m someone that likes to stay informed. Once I see something happen, I like to do the research on it.
Yeah, everything going on in the U.S., obviously I’m not really for it. I don’t think people should be dying in the streets just for existing. I don’t like what’s going on.
I think for me, it is tough to wake up and see something because I do care a lot about our country. I think people think I don’t for some reason, but I do. I’m very proud to be American.
But I think when you’re from any country, you don’t have to represent the entire values of what’s going on in the leadership. I think there’s a lot of people around that believe in the things I believe in, believe in diversity and equality.
Hoping as the future progresses that we can get back to those values, similar to what Madison said at the Australian Open.
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