“I use them as motivation”: Coco Gauff shares her approach to hate comments on social media

While enjoying some downtime during the off-season, Coco Gauff spoke about how she uses hate comments on social media as motivation. The World No. 3 concluded a packed season, which began with a title in Auckland and ended with her triumph at the WTA Finals.

Despite being one of the WTA’s top-performing players over the past three years, the American No. 1 has often been targeted by trolls, a recurring issue for athletes. In a recent interview with People, Gauff opened up about the hateful messages she frequently encounters online.

"It's something a lot of people can relate to; most of them have seen how trolls on the Internet or many people in their workplace don't believe in them," said the 2023 US Open champion. "Sometimes I deliberately read the negative comments to encourage myself and use them as motivation to prove them wrong."

Gauff was one of the busiest players in 2024, competing in 71 matches (54-17 record), second only to Iga Swiatek's 73 matches (64-9). She also ranked third in total wins, behind the Polish player and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Given her hectic schedule, Gauff has opted for a well-deserved break, unlike many of her peers who have participated in exhibition events this month. "I like to do nothing," she admitted.

"Like after the Olympics. On Sundays, I was with my brother watching Love Island together. I don't know if I should watch Love Island with my 11-year-old brother, but he has older siblings, so I feel like that's how it goes," Gauff shared. She explained that spending idle time with her brother helped her recharge.

"Sometimes I feel like even self-care is too much work. What I want is to do nothing, sit and rot, literally. So those were the best days, honestly, especially when you've been busy, and having someone to do it with was nice."

Gauff's next commitment is at the United Cup, where she will team up with ATP World No. 5 Taylor Fritz in Group A. They will face Canada (Leylah Fernandez and Félix Auger-Aliassime) and Croatia (Donna Vekic and Borna Coric).