Coco Gauff is calling for privacy after an emotional moment at the Australian Open went viral on social media Tuesday morning. Moments after falling 6-1, 6-2 to Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, Gauff repeatedly smashed her racket on a concrete ramp, with the broadcast catching it all.
It was a clearing of frustrations Gauff would’ve preferred to keep to herself. However, the world No. 3 believes the Australian Open doesn’t offer enough private areas to do so, and she wants to see a change.
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“Certain moments — the same thing happened to Aryna [Sabalenka] after I played her in the final of the U.S. Open — I feel like they don’t need to broadcast,” Gauff said during her post-match news conference. “I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn’t a camera because I don’t necessarily like breaking rackets.
“I broke one racket (at the) French Open, I think, and I said I would never do it again on court because I don’t feel like that’s a good representation. So, yeah, maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament, the only private place we have is the locker room.”
Racket smashing aside, it was a rough exit for Gauff. She lost in 59 minutes after hitting only three clean winners over 15 games. The two-time major winner made 26 unforced errors and committed five double-faults in the first set alone.
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Gauff, 21, will hope for redemption at the French Open in May. She is the tournament’s reigning champion after defeating Aryna Sabalenka in 2025.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Coco Gauff asks for privacy after smashing racket at Australian Open
