By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
The leading American professional tennis player, Coco Gauff, has called for more privacy for players, after she was captured smashing a racquet following a devastating defeat in the quarter finals of the Australian Open.
Gauff, who is 21 years old, served five double faults; made 26 unforced errors; and hit just three winners in a 6-1 6-2 loss, all of which took only a minute less than an hour.
She did not smash the racquet on court but was filmed by the tournament's behind-the-scenes coverage in the players' area, and the footage was shown on TV and social media.
Gauff stated that she had made a conscious effort to suppress her emotions until after she was away from public view.
She also stated that:
"I tried to go somewhere where there were no cameras …. because I feel like, at this tournament, the only private place we have is the locker room."
She seems to have suffered an invasion of her privacy in the present case, which is regrettable!
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘