MELBOURNE – The case of American tennis player Coco Gauff is one of the most discussed topics of this year’s Australian Open.
Gauff was caught on camera in the bowels of the Rod Laver Arena, breaking her racket in anger after being eliminated by Ukraine’s Jelina Svitolina in the quarterfinals. The footage became public, which the twenty-one-year-old American did not like, because she purposefully waited until she was off the court and out of sight of the spectators to vent her frustration.
Novak Djokovic, the winner of a record 24 Grand Slams, defended Gauff. “I saw what happened to Coco. I agree and feel for her. I know what it’s like to break a racket. I’ve experienced it several times in my career. I know what it’s like to be frustrated, especially after a match where you’re underperforming.
Sadly, there’s practically nowhere to go when you want to vent your anger without being caught on camera. But we live in a society where content is everything. So it’s a topic for a deeper discussion,” said Djokovic, recalling that he still remembers the time without ubiquitous cameras.
“It’s hard to watch us head in the opposite direction, but I guess we have to accept it. It’s really hard for me to imagine the trend changing in the opposite direction. It’s either going to be the way it is or more cameras.” stated the ten-time Australian Open champion
Novak Djokovic says he empathizes with Coco Gauff, ‘It’s really sad that you can’t move away anywhere and hide and fume out your frustration… I’m surprised we have no cameras while we’re taking a shower’
“I see with what happened with Coco after her match. Look, I empathize… pic.twitter.com/HNxQQrBpGM
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 28, 2026
He jokingly wondered that the tennis players were not being watched by cameras in the dressing rooms. “I’m surprised we don’t have cameras in the showers yet. That’s probably just coming,” he declared. “I’m against it. I think there should be a limitation and a boundary where this is our space. How the players warm up, what they say when they talk to their coaches, they want to see us drive up and walk the halls. You have to be careful.
I remember the days when we didn’t have so many cameras. Getting used to having an eye on you that you can’t hear and that you sometimes forget is terrifying. Sometimes you want to let loose and be yourself in a way that you don’t want the public to see.” Djokovic thinks.
The Serbian tennis player is aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title in Melbourne. In the quarterfinals, he lost the first two sets to Lorenzo Musetti 4:6, 3:6, but then the Italian injured a muscle in his leg and gave up the match for “Nole” at 3:1 in the third set.
In the semifinals of the Australian Open, the thirty-eight-year-old great is the fourth time in a row and as the second oldest player in the so-called open era after Ken Rosewall. In the fight for the final, he will compete against the Italian Jannik Sinner, the winner of the last two years.
In the second semi-final, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and German Alexander Zverev will face each other.
- Author: © List/
- VIDEO: X/The Tennis Letter
- Source: ČTK, Športky
