Masterminding escapes in tennis matches has already become commonplace for Coco Gauff.
It happened on the way to her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in September, including in the final against Aryna Sabalenka. And on Tuesday at Australian Open 2024, Gauff reversed a 5-1 deficit in the opening set as part of her quarterfinal victory over Marta Kostyuk to set a rematch with Sabalenka.
But navigating out of an actual escape room became slightly more problematic for the 19-year-old during down time with siblings Codey and Cameron ahead of AO 2024.
“We actually had to ask the person to let us out,” said Gauff.
“The lady froze the clock because she felt bad for us. Apparently, we chose the hardest room, and I was like, ‘She should have told me that’ because I went with my two younger brothers.
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“We thought we had one more clue to solve. And she's like, ‘No, there were two more rooms you had to unlock.’
“We were so frustrated. So, we just told her…’Just let us leave so we can get out of this nightmare.’ It was supposed to take an hour but we were at the one hour, 30 mark,” she added light-heartedly.
Gauff also went mini-golfing in Melbourne – at the jubilant sounding Holey Moley – and began 2024 by bungee jumping off a building in Auckland, where just a few days later the American won her seventh career title as she prepared for Melbourne Park.
Adjustments to her on-court game helped Gauff bag that maiden major, but forgetting about tennis – if only for a short while – seems to have played a part, too.
“Before, in tournaments I would just kind of stay in my room and feel like I had to be in ultra-focus mode for two weeks for the whole Slam,” said Gauff. “And I thought that's what you needed to do to win a Slam. And then I realised you don’t.
“When I'm at home, there's never two weeks I'm practising where I'm not doing something with my friends in between. So it's like, ‘Why would I do that in a tournament?’ So, yeah, going mini-golfing, escape rooms, movies, all of that, bowling.”
Even as a 15-year-old at Wimbledon in 2019 – when she rose to prominence by beating Venus Williams – Gauff captivated her audience not only with her play but also her personality.
“I think as a player I'm just playing smarter, being more aggressive when I need to be, also not being too aggressive,” she said. “Mentally I think I've just changed the way I approach the game.
“Coming to it with a more fun approach, more so than a pressure type of thing.
“And then as a person, I think I've grown a lot. Winning is great and all of that. But I think I focus on the true meaning of family, friends, love, all of that. And I think because I've found the core pieces that I like, the tennis has gone upwards because I haven't put too much pressure on it.”
Of course, as Gauff suggested, plenty of tennis goals exist, such as trying to register double digits in Grand Slams. She got off the mark in New York, reverting to plan B or C when required.
Already immensely popular among fans and brands, Gauff has soared. In December, Forbes listed her as the third highest paid female athlete of 2023 (at $US 21.7 million) behind current No.1 Iga Swiatek and freestyle skier Eileen Gu.
As her stardom grew, Gauff had the chance to meet a trio of her favourites – 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, actor and rapper Jaden Smith and Michelle Obama.
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Has the Floridian ever felt starstruck? Yes, she says. When she met President Obama.
“I saw him in person, but he felt like not a real person at all,” Gauff said. “And that's the first time that I've ever had that, I felt like I was just staring at him because I couldn't believe he was in front of me. It felt like a mannequin literally in front of me, except he was moving and talking.”
Moving and talking. Things Gauff certainly does well.