“I know there’s a lot of political turmoil going on in the country" - Coco Gauff hopes for 'peaceful' & 'respectful' US Presidential Election 2024
Coco Gauff recently stated that the USA is under 'political turmoil' going into the US Presidential Elections this year. She hoped for peace and respect to be maintained throughout the elections.
Gauff earned the responsibility of being the flag bearer for Team USA for the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics. The youngster has been outspoken about important issues since an even younger age. Recently, before she began her title defense at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, she opened up about her experience in Paris.
"Just playing the Olympics, in general, representing my country, was a great experience," Coco Gauff said.
Her Olympics campaign was cut short due to early-round exits in both singles and doubles, but she was impressed with how Americans united in support of their athletes even after the political divide of an election year.
“It was nice to see the country united because of sports. I know there’s a lot of political turmoil going on in the country. I hope that it stays as peaceful and respectful as possible, regardless of who you want to win," she said.
"It is nice that the Olympic year is always an election year, because I feel like we all need some peace during election time. One thing, as Americans, is we will put all our differences aside to root for athletes," she added.
Further, she revealed that as 'athletes of color', many of the Team USA members at the Olympics knew the issues, but it felt 'nice' to be 'unified'. Notably, the 2024 US Presidential Election takes place on November 5, 2024, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump contesting from the Democratic and Republican parties, respectively.
Coco Gauff urges youngsters in the USA to exercise their right to vote
As mentioned earlier, Coco Gauff has been outspoken about issues regarding politics. As a 16-year-old, she gave a powerful speech at a protest in 2020 during the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.
Earlier in 2024, Gauff spoke following the book ban levied in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis.
"It’s a crazy time to be Floridian especially a black one at that. But I’ll say for most people, especially in South Florida, we aren’t happy with the current state of our government in Florida, especially everything with the books and just the way our office operates," she told AP News.
She explained the importance of the youth being outspoken about issues plaguing their surroundings. The 2023 US Open champion further urged the youth to vote and assured them that their votes matter.
"Hopefully, I can encourage people to vote and especially people in the youth. I feel like sometimes in my generation, people think their vote doesn’t count, but I think it's important to vote and everyone exercise their right to vote. I know other countries it's mandatory, in the US it's not so. We should all just use our voices and use the power that we have," she added.
Currently, Coco Gauff is facing a slump in form as she has been ousted from the 2024 Cincinnati Open by Yulia Putintseva in the second round. This came after a third-round exit at the Canadian Open.