Elsa Jacquemot suffered a bruising second-round loss at the Australian Open, swept aside 6-1, 6-2 by Yulia Putintseva. The defeat stung after her marathon opening-round upset of Marta Kostyuk, a three-and-a-half-hour epic decided by tiebreaks. Matters worsened as emotions spilled over, with the 22-year-old Frenchwoman lashing out at coach Simon Blanc during the match.

Elsa Jacquemot’s Australian Open match unraveled quickly and painfully. Trailing 5-0 after just 25 minutes against Yulia Putintseva, the young Lyonnaise turned toward her support box. Frustration spilled over as the situation slipped beyond control.

As she moved closer to her team, Jacquemot voiced a sharp accusation.

“He has coached her for years, and there are schemes that he hasn’t even told me about; it’s still a crazy scenario.”

The “he” was Simon Blanc, her coach at the All In Academy in Lyon, who had previously worked with Putintseva.

Even before that, when Putintseva secured a double break at 4-0, Jacquemot added, “The tactic: it’s rotten. Ah, it’s very strong,” delivering the words with a dark stare toward her box.

Her agent attempted to calm the situation.

He urged her to refocus with a blunt message: “Get your senses and play tennis, damn it.”

But the tension only continued to rise.

At the change of ends at 5-0, the breaking point arrived. Hearing the comments, Simon Blanc picked up his bag. He left Court 5, pointing his finger at his player as he walked away. The agents of Elsa Jacquemot and Alizé Cornet watched on in shock.

The collapse was striking, given recent events.

Just days earlier, Jacquemot had saved a match point and defeated Marta Kostyuk in a dramatic super tie-break. That victory opened the draw and earned her a second-round clash with Putintseva. Yet the opportunity slipped away almost immediately.

Jacquemot struggled badly with Putintseva’s drop shots and constant variations. As errors mounted, she repeatedly complained to her clan, which included Blanc, France captain Alizé Cornet, and her agent Arnaud Restifo.

An hour after the swift defeat, Jacquemot faced the press, uncomfortable and guarded.

“From the first game, there were things that disturbed me. I’m not necessarily going to want to talk about it,” she shared.

She even admitted the loss would linger.

“It’s a defeat that will be hard to digest. I have to work on the external things that can disturb me.”

She also addressed criticism of her behavior: “I would like to see them on a court with 40°. Staying calm and clear is not easy.”

Jacquemot revealed how deeply the moment affected her: “Any player can adapt to my game, I totally agree. But I’m mentally affected. I don’t enjoy it at all, I’m falling apart, I’m playing very badly because it affected me psychologically.” 

After that incident, Jacquemot and Blanc will need a calm conversation. For now, only one Frenchwoman remains in the draw: Varvara Gracheva, who faces a daunting test against Elena Rybakina.

But this was not an isolated incident, as coaches walking out of arenas has become increasingly common in recent years.

Daniil Medvedev’s coach walks out mid-match during the Halle Open final

A similar incident to Elsa Jacquemot’s unfolded in 2022 with Daniil Medvedev. The Russian was chasing a second straight grass-court title at the Halle Open. Instead, he suffered a heavy defeat in the final.

Medvedev lost to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets. The Pole dominated the match and sealed a 6-1, 6-4 victory. However, tensions boiled over during the final. Medvedev had a heated exchange with his coach, Gilles Cervara. The Russian shouted angrily in his direction during the match. The reaction was immediate.

Top Stories

“Hard Being a Black Woman”: Coco Gauff on Donald Trump’s Administration

WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz Lashes Out at His Coach and Brother in Tense Win at the Australian Open

25YO WTA Pro Calls Out for Aryna Sabalenka’s Disqualification and Ban From Tennis at the Australian Open

Naomi Osaka and Antonia Ruzic Refuse to Continue Australian Open Match- Here’s What Happened

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina Confronts American Fan as Chair Umpire Steps In During Tense Australian Open Clash

Cervara stood up from his seat in the stands and walked out of the arena, leaving the court mid-match.

After the final, Medvedev addressed the crowd.

He apologized for the quality of the contest, saying sorry for “not making this match longer and more interesting.”

Medvedev also reflected on his own behavior. He admitted he was “not easy to be with on the court” during that week. The moment highlighted how intense emotions can surface under pressure.

A similar situation occurred at last year’s WTA Finals.

Aryna Sabalenka clashed with her long-time coach, Anton Dubrov. The incident happened during her match against Jessica Pegula.

Sabalenka won the first set 6-4. Pegula responded strongly and took the second set 6-2. In the deciding set, the American broke early to lead 2-1.

As pressure mounted, Dubrov walked away from the court. The move appeared to follow a tense exchange where he absorbed Sabalenka’s frustration. Despite the disruption, Sabalenka regrouped and won the final set 6-3.

After the match, Sabalenka addressed the incident openly.

“Maybe I went a little bit too much on Anton. We are probably going to, if he is still here, we’re gonna talk. But I don’t know where he is. But yeah, I went a bit too much. I was frustrated inside of me, and I was just like trying to let it go. Probably, I went too far. Not probably, I went too far.” 

With such moments resurfacing again today, Jacquemot now faces a reset. After her Australian Open exit, she will look to rebuild momentum before the North American hard-court swing begins.