Coco Gauff has said she did not receive an apology or response from the Australian Open after footage of her smashing a racket in a private area was broadcast worldwide following her quarter-final loss in January. The American, speaking after her first-round win at the French Open, said she had not received any communication from the tournament organisers about the incident.
“I mean, I didn’t get anything from my email that I know of,” Gauff said. “I know that WTA sent something, but obviously they’re different from the grand slams, just them wanting to reiterate and that they are going to talk to the slams about different private areas and things like that.”
The incident sparked a debate about player privacy, with several players speaking out. The French Open tournament director, Amélie Mauresmo, said the event would not add additional cameras to private areas, despite broadcaster pressure. Gauff praised Roland Garros for its handling of cameras, noting she had never had an emotional moment broadcast there.
Madison Keys, a WTA player council member, said she had unsuccessfully campaigned for the removal of intrusive cameras. “Obviously, the way that the tours work, the players and the tournaments have to both agree to things in order to make a rule move forward,” she said.
At the Australian Open, men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz was also caught on camera scrolling his phone, with viewers able to see his screen. Alcaraz said the lack of privacy was “weird” and that “there should be a line”. Wimbledon will maintain private areas and review all video before publication.
