Gauff calls out ticket freeloaders at US Open

Coco Gauff, the fourth seed at the U.S. Open, has voiced her exasperation with people who disappear for years only to reappear seeking complimentary tickets to her matches.

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To be honest, yeah, people come out of the woodwork. You haven't spoken to someone for years. They don't say congrats or happy birthday or nothing, then they're like, Oh, I'm in New York, can I have eight tickets to your match in your box, please.

"To be honest, yeah, people come out of the woodwork," Gauff told reporters. "You haven't spoken to someone for years. They don't say congrats or happy birthday or nothing, then they're like, Oh, I'm in New York, can I have eight tickets to your match in your box, please."

Her comments followed a blunt Instagram post by her mother addressing the persistent ticket requests. Gauff, who was unaware of the post beforehand, felt it was necessary. "I see this post, and I'm, like, Oh, my goodness. But honestly, it was needed, and it was directed, yeah, towards a few family and friends," she said.

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I see this post, and I'm, like, Oh, my goodness. But honestly, it was needed, and it was directed, yeah, towards a few family and friends.

Gauff suspects a specific incident prompted her mother's public statement. "I don't know who the person who sent her a text this year where she felt that was like the final straw. But somebody must have sent her something, and she was just, like, I need to make a post," Gauff explained. She noted that such requests are particularly prevalent and sometimes absurd in New York.

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I don't know who the person who sent her a text this year where she felt that was like the final straw. But somebody must have sent her something, and she was just, like, I need to make a post.

While Gauff is willing to provide tickets to genuine supporters, she finds it increasingly difficult to distinguish them from those with ulterior motives. "If I haven't heard from you all year and you hit me up, our last text is you hit me up for tickets, I don't know if you're there for - because I do some things throughout the year," she said. "You can wish me happy birthday or something, so I think it's just trying to navigate those things."

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Specifically in New York, it's just crazy. ... But some of the requests, you would be surprised at how absurd they are.