INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Before heading to Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open, Coco Gauff experienced the glitz and glamour of the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, is used to intense training for tournaments. However, she was surprised by how much preparation goes into getting ready for the Oscars red carpet.

The 20-year-old told reporters on Tuesday that hair and makeup started at 9:30 a.m. for the 4 p.m. event, before she finally put on her custom Miu Miu dress.

‘It was a very long day,’ Gauff said. ‘It was interesting to be in a different environment.’

Gauff mentioned working with Miu Miu to create two outfits: one for the Oscars ceremony and another for the Vanity Fair after-party.

‘They showed me many sketches and colors to choose from, and we picked that yellow dress for the ceremony,’ Gauff said. ‘For the Vanity Fair party, it was the same process, with many options to select from.’

‘It was fun to dress up. I don’t think I’ve ever worn such a gown with a long train. It was a bit difficult to walk in because people kept stepping on the train, so I had to carry it. I preferred the Vanity Fair dress because it was more practical.’

Vogue included Gauff in their list of ‘best-dressed stars’ at the Oscars.

Gauff, currently ranked No. 3 globally, was ‘surprised’ by how many people recognized her during the evening, especially one famous person.

‘The most surprising person was Samuel L. Jackson,’ she said. ‘He approached me, we took photos together, and then he introduced me to Whoopi Goldberg, which was really amazing.’

Gauff was also excited to meet Halle Bailey and bumped into Ben Stiller, a regular attendee at tennis events like the US Open and Indian Wells.

‘I wasn’t too surprised to see Ben Stiller because I know he’s a tennis fan. I told him he needs to come to one of my matches, as I usually see him at men’s matches, so I invited him to come to mine,’ Gauff added.

Gauff, who reached the Indian Wells semifinals last year, will begin her 2025 tournament on Friday. After a first-round bye, she is scheduled to play the winner of the match between Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, and Moyuka Uchijima on Wednesday.