Coco Gauff Deserves Respect—Not Criticism—For Smashing Her Racket At The Australian Open
You can't be mad at Coco here.
Coco Gauff was upset by Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, and the match was never really a contest, as evidenced by the fact that the Ukranian handled the American star in just 59 minutes.
While viewers could see the frustration boiling over for Gauff throughout the match, the 21-year-old kept relatively composed, given the circumstances of ultimately losing the match 6-1, 6-2. Things reached their tipping point for Gauff, however, as she headed to the locker room after the defeat.
As she made her way down a walkway just a few feet from stepping behind closed doors, Gauff smashed her racket on the floor with not one or two swings, but seven.
"I kind of have a thing with the broadcast. I feel like certain moments — the same thing happened to Aryna (Sabalenka) after I played her in the final of U.S. Open (in 2023), I feel like they don’t need to broadcast," Gauff said during her press conference after realizing what she thought was a private moment was actually caught on camera.
I've been critical of Gauff in the past over things she's said. Whether it be her strange comments about climate change during the 2023 U.S. Open or her statement just last week about how "it's hard being a black woman" in the United States.
In this instance, however, I'm on Team Coco.
Yes, Gauff, even at that moment with emotions running as high as possible, has to know that there are cameras quite literally everywhere inside the building, following her every move. Having said that, anyone who is criticizing Gauff for smashing a racket away from the court in an area she didn't think cameras could see her is being way too critical while also admitting they've never played competitive sports in their life.
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Emotions are part of sport; they're frankly why we're all so addicted to watching them. Gauff not only let out emotions and frustrations by destroying a racket, but had the decency to do so in what she thought was a private moment, unseen by paying fans.
"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, because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room," Gauff explained.
"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," she later continued.
You don't have to agree with some of the things Gauff says, you don't even have to enjoy the way she plays tennis or how she carries herself on the court, but it's hard not to tip your cap to a 21-year-old who has that sort of werewithal in an incredibly tough spot to recognize the situation and not destroy a racket on the court.
Gauff never had any intention of smashing her racket in front of anyone, and while millions across the globe will see the now-viral moment, she showed more maturity than the vast majority of any other 21-year-old in her shoes would have.