MELBOURNE, Australia — Following her defeat in the Australian Open quarterfinals to Elina Svitolina on Tuesday, Coco Gauff violently struck her racket against the hard court surface, once for each service game she lost, plus an additional forceful hit.
Gauff, seeded third and a victor in two major championships, experienced difficulties with her serve, accumulating five double-faults during the initial set, a period when her serve was broken on four occasions.
The subsequent set saw two further instances of her service being broken, and after the contest concluded in 59 minutes, Gauff maintained her composure while departing the main court, seeking a secluded area, free from lenses, to vent her intense feelings.
It became apparent that virtually no location within Rod Laver Arena, apart from the changing facilities, falls outside the view of surveillance equipment. Consequently, her seven forceful impacts of the racket against a concrete incline were anything but a personal display after her 6-1, 6-2 loss.
“Specific instances—similar to what occurred with Aryna [Sabalenka] following our U.S. Open final match—I believe those do not warrant being televised,” Gauff commented during her post-match press conference. “I attempted to locate a spot I presumed lacked cameras, as I am not particularly fond of destroying rackets.
“I damaged a racket at the French Open, I recall, and vowed never to repeat such an action on court, considering it an unsuitable portrayal. Therefore, indeed, discussions might be beneficial, as it seems that at this competition, our sole secluded area is the changing room.”
Throughout the 15 games, Gauff managed merely three outright winning shots, committed 26 unforced mistakes, and secured only 2 out of 11 points when serving a second time. While 74% of her initial serves were successfully placed, she claimed victory in only 41% of those particular points.
This proved to be an exceptionally poor performance for an athlete who first participated in a Grand Slam event at the age of 15 and captured her inaugural major title, the 2023 U.S. Open, when she was 19. She remains merely 21 years old.
Gauff articulated her belief that it was preferable to break a racket rather than direct any feelings of vexation towards her coaching and support staff.
“They are decent individuals. Such treatment is not merited by them, and I acknowledge my emotional state,” Gauff expressed. “Thus, indeed, I simply utilized that moment to proceed with that action.
“I do not perceive it as an unfavorable act. As I previously mentioned, I refrain from doing so on the court in the presence of children and similar audiences, but I am aware of my necessity to release such feelings.”
Her defeat by Svitolina marked Gauff’s second consecutive elimination at the quarterfinal stage in Melbourne, with her most successful showing at the tournament occurring in 2024 when she advanced to a semifinal.
This article received contributions from Matt Walsh of ESPN and The Associated Press.
