It was a tough exit for Coco Gauff at the Australian Open against Elina Svitolina, made worse by the now-viral footage of her smashing her racket in a private moment. And now, that footage has opened up the discussion about player ethics and privacy in a hyper-surveilled digital age.

Following the incident, many fellow pros have stepped up and answered the question about Gauff’s racket smash. While many believe she should have avoided breaking the racket in general, Novak Djokovic and Jessica Pegula believe there’s a bigger problem that should be addressed. In his press conference after advancing to the semifinals, Djokovic laid it bare.

“I see with what happened with Coco after her match,” he said, “Look, I empathize with her. I know what it feels like to break a racquet. I’ve done it a few times in my career. I know how it is to be frustrated, particularly after a match where you underperform.”

It’s true. Over his career, Novak has reportedly broken 62 rackets. So he knows well of the frustration and pressure when losing a match. However, the deeper issue is the lack of privacy for him.

As he added, “It’s really sad that you can’t move away anywhere and hide and fume out your frustration, your anger… in a way that won’t be captured by a camera. But we live in a society where content is everything. It’s a deeper discussion.”

“It’s really hard for me to see the trend changing in the opposite direction, meaning we take out cameras. It’s only going to be as it is or even more cameras. I’m surprised we have no cameras while we’re taking a shower,” he said.

On the other side, Pegula voiced similar frustrations. She just wrapped up her quarterfinal match against Amanda Anisimova and was asked the same question about her fellow American.

She said, “You’re under a microscope all day. The only place you’re not filmed is the locker room or the bathroom. Coco wasn’t wrong. It’s an invasion of privacy, it’s very intrusive.”

For Gauff, it was another bitter end in Melbourne. The World No.3 has yet to go beyond the quarterfinal stage despite reaching it now four times in 2018, 2019, 2025, and again this year. Still, she faced the music afterward, admitting the frustration and exhaustion that boiled over in that viral moment.

Coco Gauff opens up about why she smashed her racket

The American fell well below her usual standards in a 6-1, 6-2 quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina on Tuesday. Her forehand and serve went off track early, and the errors piled up fast. She double-faulted five times in the first set and finished with 26 unforced errors to just three winners. The whole match was over in just 59 minutes.

It wasn’t just her timing that looked off. Coco Gauff appeared frustrated with her equipment too. She sent three of her rackets for restringing in the opening set, trying to find any spark or rhythm that just wouldn’t come.

After the match, though, the spotlight shifted from her defeat to the viral clip of her smashing a racket in frustration. When asked about the moment in her press conference, Gauff didn’t hide her disappointment.

“I tried to go somewhere where there were no cameras,” she told reporters. “I kind of have a thing with the broadcast. I feel like certain moments – the same thing happened to Aryna [Sabalenka] after I played her in the final of the US Open – I feel like they don’t need to broadcast.”

For context, Sabalenka had done the same after losing to Coco Gauff in the 2023 US Open final, breaking her racket in a private training area. That footage also found its way online, much to the frustration of players who thought those spaces were off-limits.

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

Now, the 21-year-old turns the page and refocuses on the season ahead. With a new coach already helping fine-tune her serve, Gauff’s looking to bounce back stronger.

The Australian Open wasn’t in her books this time. Perhaps she’ll come back to take more titles this year? What do you think?