Frank Rondel
Coco Gauff suffered a heavy defeat against Elina Svitolina in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday, struggling with her serve and recording seven breaks of her own during the match, reports customreceipt.com via ESPN. The 21-year-old, a two-time major winner and the tournament’s third seed, hit only three clean winners across 15 games, made 26 unforced errors, and managed to win just two of 11 points on her second serve. Gauff’s frustrations boiled over as she slammed her racket into the concrete floor seven times after the 59-minute loss, an emotional release that drew cameras despite her attempts to find privacy in Rod Laver Arena.
The first set quickly spiraled out of Gauff’s control as she was broken four times and hit five double faults, allowing Svitolina to take the opening set 6-1. The second set saw two more service breaks, as Svitolina maintained control and closed out the match 6-2. Gauff achieved a 74% first-serve rate but could convert only 41% of those points, a performance uncharacteristic for the player who made her Grand Slam debut at 15 and captured her first major at the 2023 US Open.
Speaking at her postmatch press conference, Gauff explained that smashing a racket was preferable to venting frustrations on her support team. “They’re good people. They don’t deserve that, and I know I’m emotional,” she said. “I just took the minute to go and do that. I don’t try to do it on court in front of kids, but I know I need to let out that emotion.” Gauff also highlighted the lack of private spaces in the arena, noting that the only truly secluded area is the locker room.
This defeat marked Gauff’s second straight quarterfinal exit in Melbourne, following her semifinal run in 2024, which remains her best performance at the Australian Open.
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