Andy Roddick firmly defends Coco Gauff from criticism about attending Oscars ahead of Indian Wells 2025

Andy Roddick recently defended Coco Gauff after she was subjected to criticism following her Oscars ceremony appearance last week. Gauff was among the high-profile personalities to feature at the Vanity Fair Oscars party.

However, Gauff's appearance at the Academy Awards came after a disappointing string of results in the Middle East, as she failed to get past the opening stage at Qatar or Dubai. Many fans and critics suggested that amid her poor form, the World No. 3 should be spending time on the tennis court practicing for the upcoming Indian Wells event.

Andy Roddick addressed this criticism during the latest episode of his "Served with Andy Roddick" podcast, claiming that attending the Oscars is significant and does not impact her event or daily schedule.

"When Coco, who is a business unto herself, gets a chance to knock something out for a sponsor, she rarely gets a better opportunity. She’s not going to find a better path than in LA. It's the most logical loop. You land in LA, then spend a night or two and get back on the court," he said (at 36:35)

He further mentioned that such criticisms should be directed at players who struggle with being consummate professionals. In his view, this does not apply to Gauff, as LA and Indian Wells are merely two hours apart by car.

"I think we should focus on people who are actually struggling with being professional when training. I'm not sure Coco is the target for that, but in reality, when you're a global superstar, stopping in LA to promote any brand or business and then heading to Indian Wells is about as tight of an operation as you're going to get," he added (37:43).

Following her quarterfinal appearance at the 2025 Australian Open, Coco Gauff has put up a modest 9-3 record so far this season.

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Coco Gauff on attending the Oscars: "It was cool to just be in a different space and a different world"

Coco Gauff attended the 2025 Oscars ceremony and the after-party donning dresses by Miu Miu. Following this, the 2023 US Open winner claimed that attending the events was a unique experience that allowed her to step into a different world, one quite far removed from tennis.

"It was a super long day. It was cool to just be in a different space and a different world," Gauff said (via ESPN).

Now it's time for her to focus on tennis, as the Indian Wells tournament has started in Southern California. Seeded third at the tournament, Coco Gauff will face either Emma Raducanu or Moyuka Uchijima to kick off her campaign at the 1000-level event.