World number two Iga Swiatek led a growing chorus of players at the Australian Open calling for greater privacy away from the court after television cameras broadcast an emotional moment involving Coco Gauff that the American said should have remained private.
The backlash followed footage of Gauff, the tournament’s third seed, repeatedly smashing her racquet behind a wall near the match call area after her 59-minute quarter-final defeat to Elina Svitolina.
Unaware she was being filmed, Gauff later said she was unhappy there was no private space outside the locker room.
“The question is, are we tennis players or are we animals in the zoo?” Swiatek told reporters after her own quarter-final loss to Elena Rybakina. “It would be nice to have some privacy. It would be nice to have your own process and not always be observed.”
“It’s not our job to be a meme”
Swiatek said the level of surveillance at Melbourne Park contrasts sharply with that of other Grand Slam events, noting that tournaments such as the French Open and Wimbledon offer designated sanctuary areas where cameras and fans are prohibited.
“There are some tournaments where it's impossible and you are constantly observed — if not by fans, then by cameras,” she said. “We’re meant to be watched on the court and in the press. It’s not our job to be a meme.”
American Amanda Anisimova echoed the concerns, saying players are acutely aware of the lack of privacy at the Australian Open.
“There are good moments that people see, and that’s fun,” she said. “Then, when you lose, there are probably not-so-good moments. The video of Coco — it’s tough, because she didn’t have a say in that.”
Asked whether she planned to raise the issue with tournament organisers, Swiatek shrugged. “What’s the point?” she said.
