Reigning US Open tennis champion Coco Gauff slammed Ron DeSantis, claiming to be one of many Floridians who are “not happy” with the Republican governor.
Gauff is known to champion liberal causes, including a speech in favor of Black Lives Matter at the age of 16.
But as she prepared for the French Open in Paris this week, the Sunshine State native had harsh words for her local government.
“We are not happy with the current state of our government in Florida, especially with books and the way our office operates,” Gauff said, referring to a two-year controversy over the state’s school book ban that began with a bill signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
He noted that it’s “a crazy time to be a Floridian, especially for a black man.”
Reigning US Open tennis champion Coco Gauff criticized Ron DeSantis, claiming to be one of many Floridians who are “not happy” with the Republican governor.
Without mentioning Gauff by name, a spokesperson for DeSantis criticized her comments.
“It’s definitely ‘a crazy time to be a Floridian,’ with the nation’s number one economy, the best state for education and parental empowerment (no banned books), record-breaking tourism, and the number one destination “Americans are leaving other states behind,” Deputy Press Secretary Julia Friedland told DailyMail.com in a statement.
“With Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida is thriving.”
DeSantis backtracked on the law last month, when he signed a bill that narrowed its approach.
He blamed liberal activists for abusing the law, not citizens whose objections to certain books account for the majority of book removals from libraries and school classrooms.
“In the end, it comes down to the youth and the community being forthright,” Gauff said at the Italian Open last week.
‘So I encourage everyone to vote and use their voice regardless of who they vote for. There is no point in complaining about the world’s political climate if the right to vote is not exercised.’
Gauff has been speaking out about racial injustice and police brutality since that 2020 speech in front of City Hall in her hometown of Delray Beach.
Without mentioning Gauff by name, a DeSantis spokesperson criticized her comments
Gauff is known to champion liberal causes, including a speech in favor of Black Lives Matter at the age of 16.
“I feel like sometimes in my generation people think their vote doesn’t count,” Gauff said. “We should all use our voices and use the power we have.”
In response to an email when asked about Gauff’s comments, DeSantis’ office chose not to directly address Gauff’s concerns and instead said the state is “thriving.”
Gauff is not campaigning for anyone in particular for the general election.
“I’ll leave it to myself who I vote for,” she said. “I do not publicly support any candidate.”
Still, Gauff remains a public figure in the Delray Beach community.
In March, she opened renovated courts in the public park where she played as a child.
And he’s been playing with the coordinates of those Pompey Park courts inscribed on the toe of his left tennis shoe.
On the tip of his right sneaker is a quote from Gauff’s father, Corey: “You can change the world with your racket.”
DeSantis backtracked on the law last month, when he signed a bill that narrowed its approach. He blamed liberal activists for abusing the law, not citizens whose objections to certain books account for the majority of book removals from libraries and school classrooms.
Gauff is not campaigning for anyone in particular for the general election
At the US Open in September, Gauff became the first American teenager to win the country’s biggest tennis tournament since Serena Williams in 1999.
Helped by her title in New York, Gauff became the highest-earning female athlete in the world last year, with $22.7 million in prizes and sponsorships, according to the sports media Sportico.
She had already burst onto the scene at age 15 by becoming the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history and then reaching the fourth round in her Grand Slam debut in 2019.
She then reached her first major final at the 2022 French Open, finishing as runner-up to Iga Swiatek.