MELBOURNE, Australia — Iga Swiatek voiced support for Coco Gauff’s concerns about the constant camera gaze at tennis tournaments, calling for more privacy and space for players to do things “without the whole world watching.”
Gauff highlighted the lack of privacy after her racket-smashing frustration away from the court went viral following her quarterfinal loss at the Australian Open on Tuesday. She said “conversations can be had” about the seemingly limitless access certain cameras have, tracking players from the locker room to the court and just about everywhere in between.
Swiatek, who lost 7-5, 6-1 to fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina on Wednesday, was asked how she felt about the lack of off-camera areas for the players and what she thinks about the balance between entertainment and player privacy.
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“Yeah, the question is, are we tennis players or are we, like, animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop, you know?” she said, apologizing slightly for the latter reference. “OK, that was exaggerating obviously, but it would be nice to have some privacy.
“It would be nice also to, I don’t know, have your own process and not always be, like, observed.”
Swiatek and Gauff are two of the top three players in women’s tennis, so it stands to reason more of the focus would be on them at the tournament.
The sight of Swiatek being stopped by security after forgetting her credential became a meme. She has won four French Open titles as well as Wimbledon and the US Open — but security is, well, security.
The off-court camera surveillance occurs at other tournaments and isn’t unique to the Australian Open, where organizers have created a three-week festival around the season-opening major by incorporating all kinds of fan-engagement activities.
The footage from the non-public areas of the stadium isn’t always broadcast, but players don’t need to be reminded that some moments that get captured will turn up on the internet for being cute, informative or just outright dramatic.
Swiatek, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, said there were parts of her game she’d like to practice immediately before walking out for a match and “it would be nice to have some space where you can do that without the whole world watching.”
She is one of Poland’s star athletes and is fully aware that being in the public gaze is part and parcel of being a tennis champion.
“We’re tennis players,” she said. “We’re meant to be watched on the court, you know, and in the press. That’s our job. It’s not our job, like, to be a meme when you forget your accreditation.
“Oh, it’s funny, yeah, for sure. People have something to talk about. But for us I don’t think it’s necessary.”
Gauff, a two-time major winner and the world’s No. 3 player, smashed her racket into the concrete floor of a ramp near the player area seven times after her loss to Elina Svitolina on Day 10.
Gauff struggled with her serve in the 59-minute match and stayed composed as she left the center court before trying to find somewhere in the shadows to vent.
Turned out, there’s pretty much no place within the confines of Rod Laver Arena, except for the locker rooms, that is beyond the scope of the cameras.
“Certain moments — the same thing happened to Aryna [Sabalenka] after I played her in the final of the US Open — I feel like they don’t need to broadcast,” Gauff said in her postmatch news conference. “I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn’t a camera because I don’t necessarily like breaking rackets.”
Gauff said she didn’t want to smash her racket on the court within sight of fans because she didn’t think it was a good look, which is why she saved it for a quieter area.
“So, yeah, maybe some conversations can be had,” she said, “because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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