Top-seeded Americans Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff found time to visit Western Australia's iconic Rottnest Island Thursday ahead of the start of the new tennis season Friday at the United Cup in Perth. United Cup play in Sydney begins Saturday.
World No. 4 Fritz and World No. 3 Gauff strolled the island's picturesque Basin, posed for selfies with the native quokkas and enjoyed a famous 'Cray Dog', a Western Australian-inspired lobster roll.
Gauff was joined by her parents and younger brothers, Codey and Cameron.
"It's great to bring my family here. It's my first Christmas away from home. It was important for them to be able to come with me,” Gauff said. “They're on Christmas break, so for them to be able to see a different part of the world is cool."
Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz pose for a selife with a quokka on Rottnest Island. Photo: Getty Images
Fritz was part of the United States' championship team at the inaugural event in 2023. Gauff, who ended her 2024 season on a high with victory at the WTA Finals, is making her tournament debut.
"It's actually my third time in Perth as I played ATP Cup here in 2020, so I'm pretty familiar with the city and I'm happy to be back in Perth," said Fritz, who ended the 2024 season by reaching the Nitto ATP Finals championship match and with a 53-23 match record. "Coco and I got some experience playing mixed doubles at the Olympics, so hopefully that will help us."
Despite being the top seeds, Fritz said the American team needed to attend to short-term goals. "We've got to focus on getting out of the group, because we didn't even do that last year. We've got to look at the teams in front of us before we start looking too far ahead."
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— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) October 22, 2024
Action begins Friday in Perth and Saturday in Sydney. Both cities host group-play and knockout quarter-finals, with the semi-finals and final to be played exclusively in Sydney 4-5 January.
The U.S. plays its first match Sunday evening with two highly anticipated singles matches. Fritz will play Felix Auger-Aliassime, whom he leads 2-0. Gauff will meet former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.
