MELBOURNE, Australia — American tennis star Coco Gauff has openly addressed her emotional outburst following a decisive quarterfinal loss to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open. The world No. 3 described her post-match racket-smashing episode as a necessary emotional release after suffering a 6-1, 6-2 defeat on Tuesday.
Gauff, who cut a dejected figure after exiting Rod Laver Arena, was captured by television cameras repeatedly striking her racket in a stadium corridor. The 21-year-old acknowledged the incident while expressing disappointment that what she believed was a private moment had been broadcast publicly.
‘I understand my emotional nature and didn’t want to direct that frustration toward my team,’ Gauff explained. ‘They’re good people who don’t deserve that. Taking a moment to release that pressure helps me avoid being snappy with those around me.’
The two-time Grand Slam champion emphasized she intentionally sought a non-public area for her emotional release, noting: ‘I don’t like breaking rackets and try to avoid doing it in front of children on court. At this tournament, the locker room seems to be our only truly private space.’
Despite her disappointment, Gauff credited Svitolina’s dominant performance, stating: ‘She forced me to play poorly today. Bad days are often caused by your opponent’s excellence, and she performed exceptionally well.’
Svitolina, seeded 12th, advances to face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in Thursday’s semifinal, continuing her impressive comeback to professional tennis following motherhood.