Jessica Pegula says a few of the opinions about Coco Gauff's racket smash are plain incorrect as breaking a racket within the locker room "would have been awkward."
After Gauff was caught by the cameras obliterating her racket within the hallway of Rod Laver Enviornment, the video rapidly went viral but in addition drew some combined reactions.
Coco Gauff releases her frustrations after a disappointing defeat within the Australian Open quarter-finals 💥 pic.twitter.com/4Ur9jlxR0P
— TNT Sports activities (@tntsports) January 27, 2026
Since Gauff didn't wish to break a racket on the court docket, the Australian Open organizers acquired criticism for permitting cameras to be in areas which can be speculated to be gamers' personal space. Later, the world No. 5 herself confirmed that she wasn't conscious that she was being recorded whereas smashing her racket.
Whereas Gauff acquired sturdy assist following her Australian Open meltdown, she was additionally partially blamed by some, who argued that she merely might have waited to enter the locker room after which do no matter she needed with out being recorded.
Pegula, who’s 10 years older than her American colleague, was seemingly surprised by a few of the reactions she noticed.
Pegula: You don't wish to go into the locker room and make everybody really feel uncomfortable by your mini meltdown
“I noticed the feedback like, ‘Why wouldn’t she simply go to the locker room. However why would you go to the locker room and try this? It will have been so awkward," Pegula mentioned on The Participant's Field.
“However the place are you going to do this? It’s carpet. Are you going to smash it right into a locker and smash it? There are folks in there! No! You are attempting to have a second to your self. You don’t go into the locker room after which make everybody else uncomfortable since you are having a mini meltdown. You might be entitled to do this in your individual house.”
Within the wake of the Gauff racket incident, a number of prime gamers – together with Iga Swiatek and Amanda Anisimova – referred to as for tournaments to provide gamers extra privateness.
