Coco Gauff’s racquet-smashing video goes viral after Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Svitolina; Defends emotional outburst: 'I don’t think it’s a bad thing'

Coco Gauff’s racquet-smashing clip quickly went viral after the young American exited the Australian Open with a quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina on Tuesday. While Gauff remained largely composed during the match, the World No. 3 was caught releasing her frustration after leaving the court, igniting debate among fans and analysts. Responding to the wild outburst later in the post-game presser, Gauff stood by her reaction, insisting it was not a ‘bad thing’ to show emotion in high-pressure situations. The 21-year-old explained that expressing her feelings helps her process disappointment, adding that letting out frustration is necessary to move forward.


The American star’s frustration boiled over following a shock straight-set defeat to Svitolina, who dominated Gauff 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday night in one of the Australian Open’s most surprising results. The footage showed Gauff repeatedly smashing her racquet in a backstage corridor reserved for players and officials. She appeared to move behind a wall in an effort to keep the outburst out of view, but cameras still captured the moment, which quickly went viral across the internet.



When asked later in the press conference whether venting her frustration by smashing the racquet was a healthy way to put the loss behind her and move on, Gauff responded candidly.

“Yeah, definitely. I think for me, I know myself. I don’t want to lash out on my team. They’re good people. They don’t deserve that. I know I’m emotional. I just took the minute to go and do that. I don’t think it’s a bad thing," Gauff stated.

"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 gonna be snappy with the people around me. I don’t want to do that. Like I said they don’t deserve it. They did their best. I did mine. Just need to let the frustration out."