Coco Gauff, the world’s third-ranked women’s tennis player and 2023 U.S. Open champion, spoke out about the political situation in her native Florida, saying, “It’s a crazy time to be a Floridian, especially a Black person.”
In an interview with The Associated Press published Tuesday night, Gauff offered sharp criticism of some of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ policy decisions, including a state law that will be ratified in 2023 that would allow books to be removed from public libraries.
“I’m not happy with the current state of Florida’s government, particularly the accounting and the way the office is being run,” Gauff told The Associated Press last week at the Italian Open in Rome.
The 20-year-old Gauff has used her voice and platform to speak out on sociopolitical issues, and in June 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement following the killing of George Floyd, the then 16-year-old Gauff delivered a call to action at a protest in Florida.
Now, eligible to vote in the presidential election for the first time, Gauff is urging all her supporters to get together and register before November.
“At the end of the day, it’s about young people and communities speaking up,” Gauff continued. “So I encourage everybody to vote. No matter who you vote for, make your voice heard. There’s no point complaining about the political state of the world if you’re not going to exercise your right to vote.”
Gauff, a native of Delray Beach, Florida, made it clear in the interview that she would not publicly endorse any candidate.
“I feel like sometimes in my generation, people think that their vote doesn’t matter,” Gauff said. “We all have to use our voice and use the power that we have.”
Jeremy Redfearn, a spokesman for DeSantis’ office, denied Gauff’s comments in an email to The Associated Press and said “Florida is thriving.”
Gauff is expected to be one of the top players at the French Open women’s singles championship, which begins Sunday in Paris.
