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Coco Gauff of the U.S. celebrates following winning her second round match against Olga Danilovic of Serbia during their second round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
American tennis player Coco Gauff was asked about Donald Trump’s second stint in office after she won her second round match at the Australian Open on Wednesday and the two-time Grand Slam winner said she was fatigued speaking about these issues.
Trump’s second term has seen the American president order the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, start a bid to ‘own’ the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland, and insist on Canada being the United States of America’s 51st state. It has led to the Canadians gravitating towards China, and forced the European Union to unilaterally rise against the Trump threat of tariffs.
Apart from these international overtures, Trump’s domestic failings have been highlighted by the wide berth and funding provided to the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE’s crackdown on what they believe are illegal immigrants and the wanton use of force, has seen mass protests erupt in different states of the country.
Coco Gauff was asked about the state of America 1 year into the 2nd Trump Administration
“I hope forward that we can have a lot more peace in our country and more kindness in the way we speak to each other about different topics & things like that. Obviously I’ve been pretty… pic.twitter.com/6RfXmMTq3p
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 21, 2026
Gauff, an outspoken black tennis player, has spoken out against the 45th United States president in the past, most recently when she won the French Open in 2024.
“It means a lot. Obviously there’s a lot going on in our country right now. To be able to be a representation of people that look like me in America who maybe don’t feel as supported during this time period, and so just being that reflection of hope and light for those people, Gauff said after her maiden win at Roland Garros. “I remember after the election and everything, it kind of felt like a down period. My mom told me, ‘Try to win the tournament to give something for people to smile for.’ So that’s what I was thinking about today when holding the trophy.”
At the Australian Open, where the 21-year-old Gauff has never gone past the semi-finals, a question was posed on the current state of the country.
“I hope going forward that we can have a lot more peace in our country and more kindness in the way we speak to each other about different topics & things like that. Obviously I’ve been pretty vocal about how I felt,” Gauff said.
She then added, “At this point, I feel a bit fatigued talking about it just because of the fact that it is hard being a black woman in this country and having to experience things, even online, and seeing marginalized communities being affected.. and knowing that I can only donate and speak out. I try my best to do that. But I hope that as time continues that we can reach a state that we’re not currently in, and we keep moving forward.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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