Coco Gauff’s path to the Cincinnati Open quarterfinals included a late-night detour that left her questioning her decision-making skills. The American tennis star recently opened up about her genuinely terrifying experience watching the horror mystery “Weapons,” admitting the Josh Brolin and Julia Garner film left her “traumatized” and regretting her solo movie theater adventure.
Why Does Coco Gauff Regret Her Late-Night Movie Choice?
Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 event with her victory over Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti, but her Cincinnati campaign took an unexpected turn when she decided to catch a late screening of Zach Cregger’s psychological thriller. The two-time Major champion discovered that the film packed far more scares than anticipated.
Gauff described just how intense her theater experience became. The movie startled her into audible screams, and the timing of her solo outing made everything worse.
“Like I feel I got traumatized after watching that, like oh my god. I mean it was good, but I literally screamed in the theatre like what? And now I have to drive alone in the middle of Ohio at night. And now I am at an empty parking lot. Bro, that movie was traumatizing, but like in a good way, I don’t know, you just watch the movie,” she said in a TikTok clip.
The situation became even more unsettling when Gauff found herself alone in an empty parking lot after the screening, then driving through deserted Ohio roads well past 10 p.m. In her interview with Tennis Channel, she warned others against making the same mistake she did.
“The other day, I went to the movies and saw Weapons, which is a scary movie. I don’t recommend seeing scary movies alone and then having to drive back in the middle of the night in the middle of Ohio, it doesn’t help either. I don’t know if I’ll do that again,” she added.
The film “Weapons” primarily explores themes of trauma and grief, following the mysterious disappearance of 17 third-grade students. Despite the frightening experience, Gauff acknowledged the movie’s quality, describing it as traumatizing “in a good way.”
What Made Gauff’s Solo Movie Experience So Regrettable?
During her Tennis Channel interview, Gauff reflected on how her seemingly brilliant idea to catch a movie alone quickly turned into a nerve-wracking ordeal.
“Yeah, I went by myself, which sounded like a good idea. Then I was in the parking lot and it was basically empty. And then the movie was scary, and there’s nobody on the road in Ohio after like 10 p.m. So I was just like, ‘Bro, why do I do this?’ So I don’t recommend that,” she said, smiling,” she said laughing.
Back on the court, Gauff is focused on capturing her first title since lifting the French Open crown in June. She will face seventh seed Jasmine Paolini in the Cincinnati quarterfinals, marking their fifth meeting on tour.
Their head-to-head stands evenly balanced at 2-2, but Paolini holds the momentum from their most recent encounter at the Italian Open final earlier this year. The Italian will look to replicate that performance in Cincinnati, while Gauff aims to even their rivalry and advance to a semifinal showdown against either France’s Varvara Gracheva or Veronika Kudermetova.