As her game fell entirely to pieces, Coco Gauff just about held her emotions together on the court.
But once she got backstage she unleashed the frustrations of an hour of horrendous tennis on her racket, smashing it again and again into the floor – watched by the prying eyes of the Australian Open’s Big Brother-style cameras.
It was a shocking sight, so unlike the 21-year-old with an old soul who usually conducts herself with such poise. It was also uncomfortable to see, not for the first time, a private moment broadcast to the world.
In the grasping rush for content, Grand Slams are putting more and more cameras around the players’ areas and the result has been some compelling but intrusive footage. The images of Iga Swiatek sobbing in relief after her nerve-shredding second-round win over Naomi Osaka at the 2024 French Open spring to mind.
As with most ‘innovation’, the Australian Open is leading the way in this regard. UK broadcasters TNT showed the footage live and then gleefully posted the video on social media – it’s all about those clicks.
‘I have a thing with the broadcast,’ said Gauff after her 6-1, 6-2 quarter-final defeat by Elina Svitolina. ‘I feel like certain moments – the same thing happened to Aryna (Sabalenka) after I played her in the final of the US Open – they don’t need to be broadcast.
‘I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn’t a camera, because I don’t like breaking rackets. I broke one racket at the French Open and I said I would never do it again on court, because I don’t feel like that’s a good representation.
‘I went somewhere where I thought they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously they did. Maybe some conversations can be had, because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.’
Jamie Murray was among those sympathetic to the former US Open champion’s actions, saying on TNT Sports: ‘A very disappointing performance from Coco. Rightfully took it out on the racket at the end of that.’
‘Not that we advocate this,’ co-pundit and former British No 1 Laura Robson added. ‘Do you think that she could have chucked the racket on the court to release some tension?’
Top players are in the middle of a battle with the Grand Slams – partially over prizemoney but fundamentally for a greater say in how the events are conducted and portrayed.
The topic of surveillance could become a pertinent issue, with an increasing number of players – Jannik Sinner, Daria Kasatkina, Ben Shelton – producing their own video blogs in an attempt to wrestle back control over the way they are shown to the world.
Back to that racket smash, and after what Gauff had just produced it was a wonder she did not attempt to burn Rod Laver Arena to the ground rather than just attack its flooring.
The world No3 made 26 unforced errors and just three winners; five double faults and zero aces. Her average first serve speed was just 94mph.
As she fell apart in the second set, Gauff went to her courtside coaching box to ask, essentially, what the hell do I do? Her biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan said: ‘Just aim for the middle (of the court), that’s it for now.’ Good advice for a beginner, but if you’re telling that to a two-time Grand Slam champion there is something seriously wrong.
MacMillan has some work to do. It is a credit to Gauff’s extraordinary athleticism and mental strength that she has achieved what she has with such serious technical issues in the two most fundamental strokes in tennis: the serve and forehand.
She struggles to control her ball toss on serve and so her point of contact is inconsistent; her backswing on the forehand is too long and loopy. But the biggest danger will come if these issues take on a mental aspect, too.
‘There was a lot that didn’t go well today,’ said Gauff. ‘But bad days are often caused by your opponent. She did well.’
With the psychodrama at one end it was almost easy to forget there was another player on court.
Svitolina is into a first Australian Open semi-final at the age of 31. Two years after returning to the sport following the birth of her daughter Skai – she is married to French player Gael Monfils – she is back in the world’s top 10 and is two wins away from becoming the first mother since Kim Clijsters here in 2011 to claim a Grand Slam singles title.
That is quite the motivation but a greater fuel for her fire is the chance to win Ukraine’s first ever major singles title.
‘It was one of the toughest winters for Ukrainian people, without electricity and everything,’ she said. ‘So I feel like to bring a little light, even just positive news to Ukrainian people, to my friends, it’s a great feeling.’
Svitolina has already beaten two Russians, including their No1 Mirra Andreeva, this fortnight and now faces Belarus – and world – No1 Aryna Sabalenka. Given Donald Trump’s rhetoric towards Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, one suspects she was quite happy to have dispatched American No1 Gauff, too.
Sabalanka had earlier ended the run of 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, 6-3, 6-0. A bad day for the USA was completed by 20-year-old Learner Tien going down in four sets to No3 seed Alexander Zverev.
