Coco Gauff recently offered a playful jab while highlighting former American player and close friend Christopher Eubanks’ contributions during a recent escape room outing.
The world No. 4, who recently defeated Kamilla Rakhimova to reach the third round of the BNP Paribas Open, revealed that Eubanks did “absolutely nothing” during the challenge apart from a few minor contributions.
Coco Gauff Gets Honest on Christopher Eubanks’ Escape Room Contributions Amid Indian Wells Campaign
After defeating Rakhimova, the two-time Grand Slam champion sat down for an interview with Prakash Amritraj on Tennis Channel. Asked whether she still participates in escape room challenges, Gauff replied, “Yeah, actually with your co-worker, Eubanks.”
Gauff joked that Eubanks arrived straight from work in crisp dress pants and barely contributed during the challenge.
“The second, he came straight from work. … So he had on, like, his dress pants. And I was like, ‘What are you doing? You didn’t pack or change your clothes or anything?’ He had his dress pants, like, super crisp, ironed and everything,” she said.
“And he did absolutely nothing, besides, there were pictures that were pretty tall — we needed him to look at the clue for them. But he will tell you that he did something, but I have four other witnesses that will tell you that he did absolutely nothing.”
Coco was not impressed by Chris Eubanks in the escape room 😂#indianwells pic.twitter.com/2dCKy4DK3S
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 7, 2026
Gauff’s camaraderie with Eubanks is well known in the tennis world, with the pair frequently sharing lighthearted moments and posting glimpses of their time together online. During the 2025 Australian Open, the duo, alongside compatriot Ben Shelton, took a break from competition to enjoy an escape room outing.
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What’s Next for Gauff?
In her last outing against Rakhimova, Gauff encountered little resistance early, but the contest tightened significantly in the second set. The American claimed the opener 6-3 and initially appeared on course to close out the match comfortably.
However, Rakhimova dramatically shifted the momentum, surging to a 5-2 lead in the second set. Gauff responded with composure, battling back to level the score at 5-5. After another exchange of breaks, the set went to a tiebreaker, which Gauff eventually won 7-6 (5) to move into the third round.
Concerns over Gauff’s serve resurfaced during the match, as she hit 10 double faults and occasionally struggled to hold serve. However, she held her nerve in crucial moments and capitalized on key return opportunities that ultimately proved decisive.
After a hard-fought win over Rakhimova, Gauff will turn her attention to Filipino youngster Alexandra Eala, who has recently elevated expectations with her performances and growing fan support on tour.
The two have met only once before, at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last month, where Gauff secured a comfortable victory. According to PFSN’s Tennis Simulator, she enters the contest as the clear favorite, holding an 82% chance of progressing to the fourth round.
