In the aftermath, the 2025 French Open champion vented her frustration by repeatedly slamming her racket against the court surface. Gauff later confessed she’d hoped the cameras wouldn’t catch the moment, revealing to journalists that she’d attempted to find a secluded spot for her emotional release.
Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, was quick to rally behind the defeated quarter-finalist, sharing a screenshot of various headlines covering the incident on X. He posted: “NGL I love this energy and emotion from @CocoGauff – we love sports because it’s raw, because these athletes put their ALL into the battle and sometimes (like life) you don’t win. Media are gonna spin this private moment for a headline to get some clicks, but Coco did nothing wrong here.”
Williams backed her husband’s stance, posting her own message on X where she suggested Gauff’s reaction stemmed from genuine competitive fire and an unwavering determination to succeed. “Well said. @alexisohanian Passion. Caring. Matters. Nothing wrong with hating to lose,” Williams posted on X, before humorously offering Gauff advice on racket smashing.
“Now Coco when you want I can show you how to demolish in one swipe… Serena style,” she added. During the 59-minute defeat, Gauff managed only three winners against Svitolina, making 26 unforced errors and five double faults in her quarter-final clash, which highlighted her ongoing serving issues.
“They don’t deserve that. I know I’m emotional. I just took the minute to go and do that. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I don’t try to do it on court in front of kids and things like that. But I do know I need to let out that emotion.
“Otherwise I’m just gonna be snappy with the people around me. I don’t want to do that. Like I said they don’t deserve it. They did their best. I did mine. Just need to let the frustration out.”