Coco Gauff expressed her feelings about TikTok’s ban in the US after her Australian Open win, writing a heartfelt message on a camera.
Melbourne: Coco Gauff, the American tennis star, made headlines after her match at the Australian Open. She wrote “RIP TikTok USA” on a TV camera lens, along with a broken heart, right after winning against Belinda Bencic.
Gauff’s match ended with a score of 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, and it was just after TikTok disappeared from major app stores in the US. This happened on a Saturday, and her victory came the following afternoon.
After winning, players often get a pen to share their thoughts on the camera. Gauff took a moment to decide what to write and then went with her TikTok message in blue ink.
Back in June 2022, she had also used this opportunity to address serious issues, writing “Peace. End gun violence” after reaching her first Grand Slam final.
Now at 20, Gauff is a top player, having won the 2023 U.S. Open and currently ranked No. 3. She’s known for her TikTok presence, often joining in on popular trends.
She mentioned feeling like this TikTok situation has happened before, saying, “If I wake up and it doesn’t work, fine. I’m done wasting my time figuring it out.” Gauff noted that many are moving to a new app called RedNote.
Despite the ban, she expressed hope for TikTok, calling it beneficial for small businesses and creators. She shared that she’s heard many great stories through the app and hopes it can stick around, even with security concerns.
As for the ban, a US federal law was set to take effect, preventing TikTok from being available on Apple and Google app stores unless its parent company, ByteDance, sold it.
When users tried to access TikTok, they saw a pop-up message that stopped them from scrolling. Aryna Sabalenka, the top-ranked player, also commented on the situation, expressing her love for TikTok and hope for a resolution.
