'It makes me a little bit emotional': Gauff on what it means to play Baptiste

Coco Gauff has breezed in her first two matches of the Australian Open, winning all four of her sets with ease and only losing three games once.

Next she'll play fellow American Hailey Baptiste for a spot in the fourth round. But for the World No. 3, this won't just be another Grand Slam match. It carries significant weight and importance, and Gauff expressed that following her 6-2, 6-2 win over Olga Danilovic on Wednesday.

"It makes me a little bit emotional playing Hailey," the 21-year-old said during her on-court interview in Margaret Court Arena, "because growing up there weren't really too many Black women and juniors playing. It was only like three or four of us out there, and we had to deal with a lot of the crap that you guys don't know about. For us to be here on tour today, it really means a lot."

Gauff and Baptiste, 24, grew up together, though they've only played each other once on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. That match came back in 2023, in Washington, D.C. Gauff won 6-1, 6-4.

Baptiste, currently ranked 70th in the PIF WTA Rankings, has matched her best-ever result at the Australian Open this week. She defeated countrywoman Taylor Townsend in three sets in her opening match, and followed that up with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 win over Australian favorite Storm Hunter in the second round.

"It does make me emotional because it just reminds me of those big dreams we had as kids," said Gauff, who earlier this week donated $150,000 in support of historically Black colleges and universities. "I hope that Hailey and I play each other many more times, to be that representation. I see a lot of little girls in the stands, and I hope that this becomes more and more of a common thing amongst the sport."

Gauff and Baptiste are scheduled to play second in Margaret Court Arena on Friday, following the match between Daniil Medvedev and Fabian Marozsan.