Coco Gauff offers a reality check on American fan presence during her Australian swing, choosing honesty over diplomacy as she settles into United Cup duty in Perth. Ahead of the 2026 team event, the two-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that American players often travel without the same visible wave of support enjoyed by competitors from smaller nations, a truth she delivered plainly while still expressing hope that more US fans might attend as the tournament progresses.
Inside the United Cup: Format, Timing, and What’s at Stake
The moment came as Gauff prepared for the United Cup, which has quickly become one of the most distinctive opening acts on the tennis calendar. Played across Perth and Sydney from Jan. 2 to 11, the event combines ATP and WTA players in a national team format, putting pride and camaraderie at the forefront.
For the United States, the stakes are higher this year as the defending champions from 2025, with Gauff and Taylor Fritz leading a roster that also includes Mackenzie McDonald, Varvara Lepchenko, Christian Harrison, Nicole Melichar-Martinez, and captain Michael Russell. In such a setting, crowd support becomes especially noticeable, and that context framed the question posed to Gauff during her pre-tournament press conference.
Why Does Coco Gauff Believe American Tennis Fans Lag Behind Globally?
When asked whether she feels there is a strong American contingent supporting her in Australia, Gauff did not sugarcoat her response. “I’ll be honest, no,” she said. She elaborated by placing American tennis support in a global context, adding, “I feel like we’re definitely, in the tennis department, the worst when it comes to that.”
Gauff explained that she often admires how fans from smaller countries rally behind their players worldwide, saying, “I’ve always said I wish our country in other places would show up throughout the world as we see maybe smaller countries support.”
Rather than framing it purely as a criticism, she also acknowledged the broader sports culture in the United States, noting, “But I also think it’s just because of our country is good in so many sports, so it’s just hard.”
She then drew a distinction between different stops on the Australian swing, adding, “I definitely think there are Americans that come out more in Melbourne than necessarily here,” before expressing a specific hope for the later stages of the event. “But I would like to see some more Americans, if we make it to Sydney, in Sydney than there were last year,” she said.
Team USA has been placed in Group A with Argentina and Spain and will open its United Cup campaign against Argentina. The opening tie will begin with Fritz going up against Sebastián Báez in the first singles rubber, followed by a second singles match featuring Gauff against Solana Sierra.
