Danielle Collins and Coco Gauff are two perhaps different personalities, but complementary and polarizing. Both were eliminated in the semi-finals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, respectively against Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka, at the end of an excellent tournament played by the two US players.

At the press conference, Gauff talked about her deep feelings towards her countryman, explaining how Danielle is an exceptional person.

“We talk all the time. Danielle and I, I love her. Me and her got closer after the Billie Jean King Cup we did together. She’s just a great person, honestly. I love seeing her do well. I think if you ask her, she likes to see me do well. Tommy and Danielle are people I always root for, even though I wouldn’t necessarily say we’re very close,” explained Gauff.

During the media day on the eve of the tournament in Rome, we remember that Coco also talked about Rafael Nadal and his (probable) last season on the Tour.

“It’s strange to accept it because for most of my life I’ve seen him win at Roland Garros, I guess he’s going through a delicate moment. I was in Madrid and there it didn’t seem like he was retiring, with the next ceremony I wondered if this was real life or not. I’m sad because he is one of my favorite players, I admire his mentality and his intensity.

He is a very kind person, I remember that last year at Roland Garros he touched me on the back and said: Good job. To this day I can’t believe he was talking to me. These little details are what I will miss most about the tour, the way he dealt with others. He will have a legacy like no other because of the intensity with which he does everything, and that’s one thing that everyone will miss,” she said.