Coco Gauff’s Frustration on Display After Australian Open Loss
Coco Gauff expressed her frustration quite dramatically at Rod Laver Arena following her loss to Elina Svitolina in the Australian Open quarter-finals. The world number three was seen repeatedly slamming her racket after suffering a disappointing defeat, losing 6-1, 6-2, while also committing five double faults.
Gauff, clearly upset about the incident being recorded, mentioned, “I tried to go where there were no cameras. I have a problem with broadcasting. After playing against Aryna (Sabalenka) in the US Open final, I had a similar reaction. It doesn’t need to be broadcast.” She reflected on a past incident at Roland Garros and expressed a desire to stay calmer on court. “I don’t particularly enjoy breaking rackets, so I sought spots where there might not be cameras.”
The 21-year-old athlete, who aimed for her third Grand Slam, felt she didn’t perform at her usual level throughout the tournament. Svitolina, ranked 12th in the world, had a solid match, leading service points 29-15 and scoring four aces.
This defeat marks Gauff’s second consecutive quarterfinal loss, with her best result at the tournament being a semifinal appearance in 2024. Following the match, Gauff acknowledged Svitolina’s strong performance, saying, “She played really well. Unfortunately, when others raise their game, I usually do too, but today I just couldn’t.” She emphasized the importance of learning from this experience.
A video circulating online showed Gauff visibly dejected in a hallway, where she vented her frustration by slamming her racket against the ground multiple times.
Gauff noted that while venting her feelings this way was preferable to lashing out at her team, she understands her emotional nature. “I know myself and don’t want to take it out on good people who don’t deserve it. I just needed to release those feelings,” she explained. “I wouldn’t want to do this in front of kids or anything, but it’s important for me to express my emotions. Keeping it bottled up would just affect my mood around others, and that’s not something I want.”
