Coco Gauff has indicated that there could be room for discussions regarding her outburst when she was seen smashing her racket after being eliminated from the Australian Open. Gauff, the third seed, suffered a decisive 6-1 6-2 loss to Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals, lasting less than an hour, and sought a private area off the court to release her frustrations.
Despite her attempt to keep her emotions private, Gauff’s racket-breaking moment was captured on video, prompting the two-time Grand Slam champion to question the increasing intrusion on players’ privacy during major tournaments.
The video of Gauff aggressively hitting her racket against the ground quickly spread online and was aired on TV almost instantly. In response to the incident, the 21-year-old admitted, “Yeah, I tried to go somewhere where there was no cameras.”
“I feel like certain moments shouldn’t be broadcast,” she added, referring to a similar incident involving Aryna Sabalenka after they played in the final of the US Open. Gauff expressed her desire to express her emotions in private, not realizing that cameras were present almost everywhere. She hopes for more privacy in the future, according to the Express.
“I tried to go to a place where I thought there were no cameras because I don’t like breaking rackets, but after losing 1 and 2, I broke a racket in the French Open quarter-finals or round of 16, and I promised myself I wouldn’t do it on court again because I don’t think it’s a good example,” Gauff elaborated.
She continued, “I tried to find a spot where it wouldn’t be broadcast, but unfortunately, it was. So, perhaps there could be discussions because at this tournament, the only private place we have is the locker room.”
Despite the attention drawn by the footage of Gauff damaging her equipment, it gave her a chance to release her frustrations before rejoining her team.
When asked if it helped her move on from the defeat, Gauff responded, “Yes, definitely. I know myself, and I don’t want to take out my frustrations on my team. They are good people who don’t deserve that. I understand that I am emotional.”
“So, I took a moment to do that. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I try not to do it on court in front of children, but I know I need to release those emotions. Otherwise, I would be irritable with those around me, and they don’t deserve that since they did their best. I did mine. I just needed to let out the frustration.”
Gauff is known for her resilience in tough situations but couldn’t recover after Svitolina took an early lead. “I mean, in the middle of the second set, sometimes you lose a set 6-1, and you think, ‘Okay, reset,’ she explained.
“Then at 3-0, I was relieved to win that game. I just felt like I wasn’t performing well in the things I usually do well today. My backhand and forehand weren’t working, and neither were my returns. There were many things that didn’t go well today.”
Acknowledging Svitolina’s strong performance, Gauff remarked, “It’s not like I just woke up and had a bad day. Bad days are often caused by your opponent. She played well. Usually, I can fight back to make the score closer, and then you never know, she could get nervous. Today, I couldn’t do that.”