American tennis sensation Coco Gauff has supported the popular social media app TikTok after the United States temporarily banned it. The ban came on Saturday, triggered by concerns over TikTok’s connection to the Chinese government. However, the app resumed its services by Sunday after President-elect Donald Trump intervened and granted TikTok a reprieve.
The tennis star, age 20, with over 750,000 followers on TikTok, indicated her feelings concerning the ban by writing “RIP TikTok USA” on a TV camera lens in the Australian Open 2025. Gauff had just booked herself into the quarter-final after winning the Round of 16 match with a comfortable 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 win over Belinda Bencic, Swiss.
Coco Gauff Speaks Out
During her post-match press conference, Gauff revealed that she had not been able to access TikTok after the match, and this was even though she was in Australia. “I honestly thought I would be able to get away with it because I was in Australia,” she said. “Hopefully it comes back… it’s sad.” She explained that her, TikTok had always been part of her routine even before the rebranding of the app from Musical.ly. She continued, “I love TikTok. It’s like an escape. I honestly do that before matches.”
Indeed, Gauff even admitted that she may be reading more books and being more productive because of this disruption, but she expressed the hope that TikTok would come back.
Role of TikTok in Connecting Creators and Fans
Gauff further explained the app’s significance, stating that TikTok had helped numerous small businesses and creators generate income and spread important stories. “A lot of creators make money on it and have the chance to spread stories,” Gauff shared. “Personally, a lot of great stories I’ve heard are from TikTok, and connecting with people has been through TikTok.”
Global influence and the connection of people with diverse backgrounds made it a very key platform for many, including Gauff. She admitted to concerns about its security issues but was hoping that it could stay open for users.
US Government Response and TikTok’s Future
The controversy involving TikTok took another level when the app was pulled from major app stores operated by Apple and Google. It was also not accessible on its website, which displayed a notice saying that the platform was no longer accessible. The blackout occurred just before a new federal law was set to take effect, which bans TikTok from US app stores and requires ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to sell the platform or face a nationwide ban.
In response, President Trump said he would sign an executive order allowing ByteDance more time to find an approved buyer. TikTok confirmed that it was in the process of restoring service to US users.
