It was a smash heard and seen around the world. A security camera caught Coco Gauff slamming her tennis racquet on the concrete ramp leading to the locker room after her humiliating loss to Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. The Ukrainian swept the world No. 3 in straight sets 6-1, 6-2, moving on to face Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals
“I tried to go somewhere where there are no cameras,” a despondent Gauff said at the post-match presser. “I feel like, at this tournament, the only private place we have is the locker room.”
Gauff’s path to defeat started early on when her favored racquet didn’t arrive from the stringers in time for the match. By the time it did, it was too little too late.
Gauff served five double faults and made 26 unforced errors in a confounding performance that, mercifully, lasted just 59 minutes.
The loss was especially troubling because Gauff has seemed to be on a roll after storming to wins over long time chum Hailey Baptiste and arch-rival Karolina Muchova in the early going.
This was Gauff’s second consecutive quarterfinals exit at Melbourne. Her best result was in 2024 when she made the semifinal. Visit ausppen.com for the latest.
