Coco Gauff has called for players to be given more privacy after she was caught on camera smashing her racket after losing to Elina Svitolina in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

Svitolina It only took 59 minutes to defeat the out-of-form Gauff 6-1 6-2. More than three years after giving birth to daughter Skai, she reached the semi-finals at Melbourne Park for the first time.

Gauff’s frustration was palpable as she scurried off the court, admitting she tried to find a camera-free spot to vent her frustrations with her racket and repeatedly dropped it on the ground.

But behind-the-scenes coverage of the event captured it and was quickly broadcast on television and social media.

“I was trying to go to a place where there were no cameras,” Goff said. “There were moments — after I played against Alina[Sabalenka]in the U.S. Open final, the same thing happened to her — where I felt like they didn’t need to broadcast it.

“So maybe there can be some dialogue because I feel like, in this game, the only private place we have is the locker room.”

Goff has no regrets about her actions, saying: “I didn’t want to lash out at my team. They’re good people. They didn’t deserve to be treated like this, and I know I was emotional. So I just took a moment to do it.”

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I try not to do it on the court in front of kids and stuff like that, but I do know that I need to let it out.”

Goff’s technical issues

Gauff has struggled since winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open last year, despite hiring biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan in August to overhaul her serve and address technical issues with her forehand.

The Americans were profligate, especially on serve, and the statistics here of three winners and 26 unforced errors tell their own story.

“I tried to stay positive, but I just felt like nothing was working for me,” she said. “It’s a little frustrating when you’re out there and you feel like your strengths aren’t really working.

“Watching Serena (Williams) play a lot of games, she’ll play really bad but be able to give up those games and win the championship. I just have to figure out how to get through those bad days.”

Svitolina: This means the world to me!

While it was a bad day for Gauff, it was one of the best of Svitolina’s career, with the Ukrainian reaching her fourth Grand Slam semifinal and only her second since returning to the tour in 2022 following the birth of her daughter.

Svitolina was the latest player to take a break at the end of last season due to mental health reasons, but she won the WTA Championships in Auckland this year and will now return to the top 10.

She said: “I’m really happy with the competition so far and it’s always been a dream of mine to get back into the top ten after maternity leave. Unfortunately it didn’t happen last year but I told my coach that was my goal for this season.

“It means the world to me. I try to push myself and give myself the motivation to keep going.”

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