"People thought I was serious, I wasn't" - Coco Gauff issues clarification after backlash for jokingly ridiculing USTA's Australian Open poster

Coco Gauff has issued a clarification over her comments on the USTA’s newly released and since-deleted caricature poster for the 2024 Australian Open, which featured her and fellow seeded Americans.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) recently released a poster celebrating the seeded Americans, men and women, at the ongoing Australian Open. Inspired by the American animated television series ‘The Wild Thornberrys,’ the poster, featuring Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, and Ben Shelton, among others, depicted them as caricatures riding the show's Camper Van in Australia.

Gauff, Shelton, and Pegula weren’t too impressed by how they were portrayed.

“I better not find out who made this,” Ben Shelton wrote on his Instagram story.

Ben Shelton on Instagram

Echoing the 2023 Australian Open quarterfinalist’s sentiments, Coco Gauff mocked the artwork in an Instagram story, calling it “foul” and “the worst thing she has ever seen.” She also hopped on to X (formerly Twitter) and stated that the artwork made the players look “ugly”. [All of Gauff's posts have since been deleted]

Jessica Pegula seconded the 19-year-old’s opinion.

“Hahahahhaha we are ugly af,” the World No. 5 wrote on X.

The poster received a mixed response online. Coco Gauff, however, found herself in hot water, as her continued comments rubbed fans the wrong way.

The American has now issued a clarification on the matter, stating that she wasn’t being serious and her remarks were intended as light-hearted banter.

“People thought I was being serious, that I was actually mad with it. And I realize TikTok humor is very different than Twitter. I saw somebody posted, like, There's no way she's that pressed over it,” Gauff said during her post-match press conference at the Australian Open.

“I was like, no, I wasn't mad. We looked awful. I saw Ben post first on his story. I DM'd Ben immediately and I was like, What is this? Then Jess started texting me. We were just laughing at each person,” she joked, adding, “Then, yeah, I saw on Twitter people thought I was serious, but I wasn't. It was all in jokes.”

The World No. 4 then praised the artist while reiterating that she, personally, wouldn’t want to be portrayed as a character from The Wild Thornberrys.

“The artist did great with the cartoon. I just don't know if I want myself drawn as that art style. We did not look good at all,” she laughed. “Shout-out to Wild Thornberrys the cartoon. Shout-out to them for making us look funny.”

Coco Gauff also hilariously revealed that she was snubbed by the USTA’s social media page when she questioned them about the caricatures.

“USTA always does the seed, the hype posts I was, like, they all should have posted this on April Fool's Day or something,” the American added. “I did DM the USTA and I was, like, what was the thought process behind this, as a joke. They never responded. I got left on read by USTA, which sucks. But it is what it is.”

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Coco Gauff progresses to the second round of Australian Open 2024

Coco Gauff pictured at the 2024 Australian Open

Coco Gauff is through to the second round of the 2024 Australian Open following an emphatic 6-3, 6-0 win over Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on Monday, January 15.

Gauff’s best result in Melbourne so far is reaching the fourth round in 2020 and 2023. The American will hope to go deeper this time around as she bids for her second Grand Slam title following her maiden triumph at the 2023 US Open.

Gauff will face compatriot Caroline Dolehide on Wednesday, January 17, for a spot in the third round.