Coco Gauff Calls Out Australian Open Broadcast for Showing Her Smashing Her Racket in Private Moment

NEED TO KNOW

• Coco Gauff had a frustrating day at the Australian Open
• The world No. 3 committed 26 unforced errors in her straight-sets loss to Elina Svitolina
• Gauff said she was seeking out a private place when she smashed her racket, but she was caught by cameras

Coco Gauff had a frustrating go of it Down Under on Tuesday — and she didn’t want to broadcast her emotions.

But the world No. 3 tennis star was caught on camera breaking her racket on Tuesday, Jan. 27 after she lost in the quarterfinal round of the Australian Open to Elina Svitolina in straight sets, and rued the fact that the “emotional” outburst was shared on television.

“Certain moments — the same thing happened to Aryna [Sabalenka] after I played her in the final of the US Open — I feel like they don’t need to broadcast,” Gauff, 21, said after the match. “I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn’t a camera because I don’t necessarily like breaking rackets.”

She continued, “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.”

In the video, Gauff — clad in a bright orange tennis dress — stepped behind a low barrier and repeatedly slammed her racket into the concrete floor.

The reigning French Open champ made 26 unforced errors in the match against Svitolina, and won only two out of 11 points on her second serve.

After the match, Gauff said she sought out an off-court spot to vent her frustrations, away from her team.

“They’re good people,” she said. “They don’t deserve that, and I know I’m emotional. So, yeah, I just took the minute to go and do that.

She added, “I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Like I said, I don’t try to do it on court in front of kids and things like that, but I do know I need to let out that emotion.”

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