Coco Gauff Breaks Silence on Kinky Hair Controversy with 8-Minute Video: “I’m Not Going to Apologize”

Coco Gauff found herself on the receiving end of criticism just because she showed off her natural hair during a photoshoot for Miu Miu. She recently took to Instagram to share a few pictures of herself, posing in a red polo shirt, a blue skirt, and black loafers.

She wore her hair in a low, tight bun, and that’s what caught the attention of the trolls, who compared her to American civil rights activist Ruby Bridges, writing that Gauff’s hair looked unpolished. To address the controversy, Gauff posted an eight-minute video on TikTok to call out the “deeply insecure” people, also revealing the reason why she prefers not to wear her hair sleek.

Check out her photos here:

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A post shared by Coco Gauff (@cocogauff)

I personally don’t like to slick back my hair super sleek because it does damage my hair. I do play tennis. So most of the times where I’m wearing it in a bun, I choose to allow my hair to be present in this 4C self because I do have 4C hair, and I don’t want it to be super slick back because it’s just not good for my hair.

Coco Gauff said in the video

Gauff loves experimenting with her hair, often changing the color and texture. In this year’s Australian Open, Gauff debuted a ginger hairstyle.

So I’m not going to apologize for the way that my hair looks because there are other girls who have the exact same hair as me. And I just wanted them to feel represented that your hair is literally fine the way it is. My hair was good enough for a high-fashion, fashionable brand like Miu Miu to promote one of their newest launches.

Coco Gauff added

After the controversy, Gauff also took to X and revealed that she had downloaded the Elon Musk-owned app again after a one-month break, and regretted the decision because of all the negative comments about her Miu Miu photoshoot.

Because at the end of the day, people who hate on your appearance and the way that you look have something deeply insecure about themselves. The only reason people comment on people’s looks, especially when they present themselves naturally, is because they’re insecure.

Coco Gauff added

Check out her video here:

Coco Gauff playing the victim card as usual

Might have played the race card too, couldn't be bothered watching her whining for 8 minutespic.twitter.com/uh4jBZsx2t

— Corvath Draemir (@Archaicmind3000) April 9, 2026

Coco Gauff to play at the Stuttgart Open next

Coco Gauff would like to forget about this controversy and focus on what’s ahead for her hair. She is gearing up for the clay swing and is set to start her campaign at the Stuttgart Open.

The WTA 500 event in Stuttgart will start on April 13, and Jelena Ostapenko will be entering the tournament as the defending champion. Last year, the Latvian ace defeated World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Gauff will be bidding to reach the final in Stuttgart for the first time. Last year in the tournament, she lost to Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals. The two-time Grand Slam singles champion played three finals last year. She lost to Sabalenka in the Madrid Open final and to home favorite Paolini in the Italian Open final.

But at the French Open, she was able to get her revenge on the Belarusian ace with a three-set win. Gauff is the winner of two clay-court singles titles.

This year, she has played one final, in Miami, where the four-time Grand Slam singles champion denied her the win in three sets. In Indian Wells, an elbow injury forced her to hand the walkover to Alexandra Eala in the round of 32. The last time Gauff won a title was at the 2025 Wuhan Open. Last year, she played four finals, winning in Wuhan and Paris.

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