Nevermind that Coco Gauff is thousands of miles from home, competing in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, her mind is locked on what’s happening in the streets of the United States.

While the tennis star spends most of the year traveling for work, she still “likes to stay informed” – and lately, that’s been hard, The Guardian reports.

Speaking ahead of the championships, Gauff said she’s struggling with news of harsh immigration crackdowns and the killings of protesters in Minnesota. “I don’t think people should be dying in the streets just for existing. I don’t like what’s going on,” she said, referring to several recent fatal shootings at the hands of federal agents.

While many athletes have become increasingly silent when it comes to discussing news and politics, Gauff’s openness may come as a surprise to some. She pushed back on the idea that criticizing her country makes her unpatriotic and described herself as “very proud to be American.” However, she made it clear that she doesn’t feel obligated to mirror the values of whoever is in power.

“I think for me, it is tough to sometimes wake up and see something because I do care a lot about our country. I think people think I don’t for some reason, but I do. I’m very proud to be American.

“But I think when you’re from any country, you don’t have to represent the entire values of what’s going on in the leadership. I think there’s a lot of people around there who believe in the things I believe in, and believe in diversity and equality. So, I’m hoping as the future progresses that we can get back to those values.”

That confidence didn’t come out of nowhere. Activism is in Gauff’s DNA: Her grandmother, Yvonne Lee Odom, helped desegregate public schools in Delray Beach, Florida, in the 1960s and watched her granddaughter speak at a Black Lives Matter rally at 16, where Gauff quoted Martin Luther King Jr: “The silence of the good people is worse than the brutality of the bad people.”

Now a two-time grand slam champion and world No 4, Gauff says she won’t dodge tough questions just to keep the peace. “If you ask me, I’m going to give you my honest answer,” she said. “This is literally my life. So I’m OK answering tough questions.”

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