One of the greatest icons tennis world joined the rally around American tennis star Coco Gauff after she was spotted by cameras smashing her racket following a tough quarterfinal defeat at the Australian Open.
Three-seed Gauff fell in straight sets to 12-seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine – ending her Melbourne journey 1-6, 2-6.
After the crushing loss, Gauff was seen walking off the court and attempting to hide herself before taking her frustration out on her racket.
Since then, Gauff has publicly criticized the organizers and broadcasters of the tournament – calling for ‘conversations’ on player privacy after she received backlash for her ‘meltdown’.
While many active players on the WTA tour have echoed similar hopes in the wake of Gauff’s comments, tennis legend Serena Williams believes the 21-year-old shouldn’t be ashamed of her passion for the game.
Williams quote-tweeted a post from her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, where he admitted to living the ‘energy and emotion’ from the two-time Grand Slam winner.
Serena Williams is defending American tennis star Coco Gauff after an emotional display
An angry Gauff was seen smashing her racket after losing to Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals
Gauff has since called for greater privacy for athletes at such high-profile tennis tournaments
‘We love sports because its raw, because these athletes put their ALL into the battle and sometimes (like life) you don’t win,’ Ohanian posted. ‘Media are gonna spin this private moment for a headline to get some clicks, but Coco did nothing wrong here.’
His wife, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, agreed: ‘Well said. @alexisohanian Passion. Caring. Matters. Nothing wrong with hating to lose.’
Williams jokingly added, ‘Now Coco when you want I can show you how to demolish [a racket] in one swipe… Serena style.’
Gauff saw the tweet and responded with three heart emojis and a pair of laughing emojis.
She also posted a follow-up statement on Tuesday to her Instagram account – while also showing off snaps from her time at Melbourne Park this year.
Both Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, supported Gauff’s display of raw emotion
A title in Melbourne has eluded Gauff, who has yet to even reach the final on Rod Laver
‘Living and learning,’ the American wrote on Instagram. ‘But still will keep trying to move forward. Also, I’m a real person with real feelings…’
‘I care a lot and I’m trying my best. Thank you to those who understand that,’ she said, adding a ‘heart’ emoji.
An Australian Open title continues to elude Gauff, who lost in the quarterfinals last year as well – falling in straight sets to Paula Badosa.
Gauff has yet to reach the final in the tournament. The furthest she’s gone was the 2024 semifinals, where she lost to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka.
