Gauff eliminated from Australian Open, breaks racket in disappointment
MELBOURNE, Australia — Coco Gauff forcefully struck her racket against the concrete floor once for each time she lost her serve, plus an additional strike for emphasis, following her quarterfinal defeat to Elina Svitolina at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
The third-seeded Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion, faced difficulties with her serve, accumulating five double-faults in the opening set, during which she was broken four times.
There were two additional service breaks in the second set, and once the match concluded — after 59 minutes — Gauff maintained her composure as she exited the center court, seeking a quiet place away from cameras to express her frustrations.
It appears that there are very few areas in Rod Laver Arena, aside from the locker rooms, that are out of the camera’s view. Thus, the seven times she struck her racket against a concrete ramp were far from a secluded moment following her 6-1, 6-2 loss.
“Certain moments — the same thing happened to Aryna (Sabalenka) after I played her in the final of the U.S. Open — I feel like they don’t need to be broadcast,” Gauff stated during her post-match press conference. “I attempted to find a spot where I thought there wasn’t a camera because I don’t particularly enjoy breaking rackets.
“I broke one racket (at the) French Open, I believe, and I promised myself I wouldn’t do it again on court because I don’t think it reflects well. So, yes, perhaps some discussions could be had.”
Nonetheless, the 21-year-old American mentioned that it was preferable to break a racket than to direct any frustrations towards her support team.
“They’re good people. They don’t deserve that, and I recognize that I’m emotional,” Gauff remarked. “So, yes, I just took a moment to do that.
“I don’t consider it a negative thing. As I said, I don’t aim to do it on court in front of children and such, but I do understand that I need to release that emotion.”
Source: espn.com
