Coco Gauff’s hopes of winning this year’s Australian Open came crashing down in just 59 minutes on Tuesday, as she was beaten in straight sets in the quarterfinals by Ukrainian star Elina Svitolina.
The American had been playing so well in Melbourne that many tipped her to win her first Australian Open and third grand slam overall, but she struggled to find any of that previous form against Svitolina in sweltering conditions.
The Ukrainian, who has also been on a hot streak this year, capitalized on Gauff’s poor performance to win 6-1, 6-2 in less than an hour and booked her place in the semifinal against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Clearly frustrated by her level during the quarterfinal, Gauff was filmed smashing her racket against a concrete ramp after making her way off the court at Rod Laver Arena. It was a moment of frustration that she thought was private.
“I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn’t a camera because I don’t necessarily like breaking rackets,” Gauff told reporters after the match.
“I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously, they did. 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.”
A lot of Gauff’s frustration likely stemmed from her poor serving performance in the first set, where the world No. 3 produced five double faults that saw her broken in four service games.
While her serving improved in the second set, the 21-year-old still made 12 unforced errors, which saw any hopes of a comeback extinguished.
“I just felt like all the things I do well, I just wasn’t doing well today,” Gauff said. “The backhand wasn’t firing. Forehand wasn’t really firing. Returns.
“There was just a lot that didn’t go well today. I credit it to her because she forced me to play like that. It’s not like I just woke up and, yeah, today was a bad day, but bad days are often caused by your opponent. So she did well.”
Gauff said she doesn’t necessarily regret smashing her racket behind the scenes, knowing the importance of letting off steam after such a frustrating day at the office.
She would much prefer to do that, she said, rather than take it out on her coaching team in the player’s box.
“I don’t want to lash out on my team. They’re good people. They don’t deserve that, and I know I’m emotional,” she added.
“I just took the minute to go and do that. 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.
“Otherwise, I’m just going to be snappy with the people around me, and I don’t want to do that because, like I said, they don’t deserve it. They did their best. I did mine. Just need to let the frustration out.”
