Overview
- Speaking at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Gauff said she is not “for” what is happening in the United States and that “people shouldn’t be dying in the streets just for existing.”
- She referenced the recent fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis and said she stays informed about developments back home.
- Gauff emphasized that she is “very proud to be American,” adding that citizens do not have to mirror the values of political leadership and that she hopes the country returns to diversity and equality.
- Rejecting calls for athletes to “stay out of it,” she said she will answer political questions honestly while noting players have the right to decline, citing her activist grandmother as shaping her stance.
- Her comments follow similar statements from U.S. Olympians such as Hunter Hess and Chloe Kim, with President Donald Trump publicly rebuking Hess, and coverage noting protests and intensified ICE operations in Minnesota.