American tennis player Coco Gauff, the 21-year-old star of world tennis, exited the Australian Open after losing to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina with a crushing score of 1:6, 2:6. The match lasted only 59 minutes and was a real test for Gauff.
Match analysis showed that Coco is experiencing serious difficulties on the court: she made 26 unforced errors and managed to hit only three "winners." Her serve was particularly weak: out of 11 attempts on her second serve, she won only two games, and in the first set, she allowed her opponent to take four games.
After the match, cameras at Rod Laver Arena captured Gauff's emotional breakdown. In search of solitude, she headed to the locker room, where, hitting her racket against a concrete ramp, she completely destroyed it.
At the post-match press conference, Coco shared her feelings, noting that she doesn't like breaking rackets, but at that moment she felt the need to do so. "I was looking for a place without cameras. Some moments shouldn't be in the spotlight. It's better to let off steam on the racket than to take it out on my team — they are wonderful and don't deserve my anger," Gauff admitted.
Despite her emotional outburst, the two-time Grand Slam champion emphasized that such moments help her cope with the pressure she has felt since her debut at the age of 15.
