American tennis star Coco Gauff has called for stronger player privacy measures after footage showed her smashing a racquet following her heavy defeat to Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open.
The 21-year-old suffered a one-sided 6-1, 6-2 loss to the Ukrainian in the quarter-finals, a match that lasted just 59 minutes. Gauff struggled throughout the contest, recording five double faults, committing 26 unforced errors and producing only three winners.
While the racquet smash did not occur on court, cameras captured the moment in the players’ area. The clip was later broadcast on television and widely circulated on social media, sparking debate about the boundaries of player privacy.
Reacting to the incident, Gauff said she had deliberately waited until she was away from the public eye before expressing her frustration, stressing that certain emotional moments should remain private.
“I tried to find a space without cameras,” she said. “There are moments—like what happened to Aryna after the US Open final—that don’t need to be shown. Maybe there needs to be a conversation about this, because the only truly private space we have here is the locker room.”
She was referring to a similar incident involving Aryna Sabalenka at the 2023 US Open, when the Belarusian was filmed smashing her racquet after losing to Gauff in the final.
Explaining her actions, Gauff said releasing frustration helps her cope with disappointment and prevents her from directing emotions at her team.
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“I don’t want to take it out on my team because they don’t deserve it,” she said. “I try not to do it in front of kids or fans, but sometimes you need an outlet for those emotions.”
Despite showing resilience earlier in the tournament by winning two consecutive three-set matches, Gauff was unable to find her rhythm against Svitolina. The 12th seed was clinical, converting six of seven break points to reach the Australian Open semi-finals for the first time.
Svitolina will now face world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who cruised past teenage sensation Iva Jovic with a commanding 6-3, 6-0 victory.
Gauff has been working to improve her serve after leading the WTA Tour with 431 double faults last season. She enlisted biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan, who previously worked with Sabalenka, as part of that effort.
However, service issues resurfaced in the quarter-final, with double faults proving costly—particularly one on break point early in the match and another on set point—bringing a disappointing end to her Australian Open campaign.
