Coco Gauff unhappy after racket smashing video at Australian Open goes viral | Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff has expressed her disappointment after video of her smashing her racket at the Australian Open was filmed.

The American was well below her usual high standards in her 6-1, 6-2 loss to Elina Svitolina on Tuesday. Gauff had issues with her forehand and serve throughout the match – she committed five double faults in the first set alone – and made 26 unforced errors against just three winners, losing in just 59 minutes. She also seemed to think there was something wrong with her equipment as she struggled to control her game and had three of her rackets re-strung in the first set.

After the match, the 21-year-old thought she had found some privacy to express her frustration on a ramp leading to Rod Laver Arena. She smashed her racket against the concrete floor, but the incident was caught on camera and video of the incident quickly flooded social media.

“I tried to go somewhere where there were no cameras,” Gauff told reporters. “I kind of have a problem with the broadcast. I feel like some moments – the same thing happened to Aryna [Sabalenka] after facing her in the US Open final, I feel like they don’t need to broadcast.

World number 1 Sabalenka broke her racket in a practice area after her loss to Gauff at the US Open 2023. Footage of this incident also went viral after being filmed.

“I tried to go somewhere where they didn’t want to broadcast it, but obviously they did. Maybe conversations can happen, because I feel like in this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room,” Gauff added.

The 21-year-old said she preferred to take out her frustration on her equipment rather than her team.

“I think for me, I know myself and I don’t want to take it out on my team. They’re good people. They don’t deserve this, and I know I’m emotional,” Gauff said. “I just took the time to do that. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Like I said, I’m not trying to do it on the field in front of kids and things like that, but I know I have to let that emotion out.

“Otherwise, I’m just going to be snappy with the people around me, and I don’t want to do that, because like I said, they don’t deserve it. They did their best. I did mine. I just have to let the frustration out.”

Gauff, seeded No. 3 at this year’s Australian Open, was hoping to advance to the final in Melbourne for the first time, and she had won her two previous matches against Svitolina. She is the reigning French Open champion, but suffered a shock first-round defeat at Wimbledon last year and was eliminated in the fourth round at the US Open.

Svitolina was in a more positive mood after reaching her first semi-final of the Australian Open, where she will face Sabalenka. The win also ensures she will return to the world top 10 for the first time since the birth of her daughter, Skai.

“After my maternity leave, I dreamed of returning to the top 10,” she said. “It was always my goal. Unfortunately it didn’t happen last year, I stopped after September [due to injury] and then when we were training in the off season, I told my coach, ‘I want to get back into the top 10 this year,’ so that was my goal this year.

Even though Gauff and compatriot Iva Jović lost their quarterfinals, the United States is assured of being a semifinalist at this year’s tournament. Two Americans, Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula, face each other Wednesday morning in the quarter-finals in Melbourne. Jović was easily beaten 6-3, 6-0 by Sabalenka, who has reached the semifinals in 12 of her last 13 Grand Slam appearances and will provide a formidable test for Svitolina.