Coco Gauff's complete rollercoaster of emotions at Australian Open going through TikTok ban in US: From start to finish

Coco Gauff is halfway across the world competing at the Australian Open 2025, though that didn't stop her from experiencing a whirlwind of emotions over the last few days. The TikTok ban in the US had plenty of Americans, including the World No. 3, in a frenzy, though the whole saga ended up being blown out of proportion as the ban didn't even last for a day.

The past week was quite intense for Gauff and other users of the app. Following her second-round win over Jodie Burrage, she was asked her thoughts on the matter. Despite a potential federal ban on the app, she didn't seem too stressed about it. The government had threatened to shut down the app in the past but nothing came out of it.

"Yeah I am following it. Yeah, I feel like this is the third or fourth time this has happened, so I've kind of like, this time just was like, 'Whatever.' If I wake up and it doesn't work, fine. I'm done wasting my time figuring it out," Coco Gauff said.

Gauff was also aware of other alternatives to TikTok. She also hoped that there wouldn't be a ban as a lot of small businesses and creators rely on it for their daily bread and butter.

"I see that there's a new app called 'Red Note' that a lot of people are migrating over to. So I feel like regardless people are going to be fine because people are always going to migrate to another app," she said.

"But obviously, I hope TikTok extends. I think its's a great thing for a lot of small businesses in our country and a lot of creators make money on it and have the chance to spread stories," she added.

After her third-round win over Leylah Fernandez, Gauff revealed that she did try to download RedNote, though the app didn't work properly for her. Regardless, she was looking forward to interacting with her Chinese fans.

"Yeah, I've tried to download it. For some reason, it's not working. Once I figure that out, I'll be on the app. Also, it's an opportunity to connect with a Chinese audience. I know in China they asked me to go on another app, but I forgot the name of the app, so I guess I have to eventually do that," Coco Gauff said.

However, it became increasingly clear by Friday (January 17) that this time the government won't backtrack on its word, and TikTok would be banned from Sunday. Gauff found about the same after she won her fourth-round match.

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"So, I guess it'll force me to read books more, and yeah, be more a productive human probably," - Coco Gauff sees the bright side of the TikTok ban

Coco Gauff at the Australian Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Coco Gauff tried to access TikTok following her fourth-round win over Belinda Bencic on Sunday (January 19). However, she realized that the app had been banned after she couldn't get it working. Players usually leave a message on the camera lens after a win, and the American commemorated the app's demise.

"RIP TikTok USA,” - Coco Gauff's message after her fourth-round win.

Gauff explained the message in her post-match conference. She also stated that since she's in Australia, she would be able to use the app but that wasn't the case. She remained optimistic that TikTok would eventually make a comeback in the US, and in the meantime she would resort to reading more books.

"Yeah, it was funny, a couple of people didn't know what it meant. But yeah, for people who don't know, it's not—you can't access it in the US anymore. So, my phone—I could not access it after my match," Coco Gauff said.

"But yeah, hopefully, it comes back. I don't know, it's really sad. I've been on the app since it was called Musical.ly. So, yeah, I love TikTok. I don't know, it's like an escape. I honestly do that before matches. So, I guess it'll force me to read books more, and yeah, be more a productive human probably. So maybe it's a blessing in disguise; everything happens for a reason. But I do have a feeling that it somehow will come back," she added.

Gauff was right to be optimistic as TikTok resumed its services in the country after being offline for around 14 hours. She took to social media to poke fun at her dramatics over the last few days

"Tik tok is back😭 never being dramatic again hahaha," Gauff posted on X.

Despite the off-court distractions, Gauff has remained focused on her task at hand. She's through to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open for the second year in a row, and will take on Paula Badosa for a spot in the semifinals on Tuesday (January 21).