A WTA tournament in Austin, Texas, has rolled out a first-of-its-kind “rage room” where players can vent frustration away from cameras, a response to Coco Gauff’s high-profile racket-smashing episode at the Australian Open last month.
After a 59-minute quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina at Melbourne Park, Gauff, the world No. 3, headed to a behind-the-scenes match call area and repeatedly smashed her racket, believing she was out of view. Cameras captured the moment, broadcasting it worldwide and sparking debate over off-court privacy for players.
Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and other top players quickly weighed in, calling for more private spaces to process emotions without constant surveillance. Świątek described tennis as increasingly like living in a “zoo,” while Djokovic lamented the lack of places to “hide and fume out your frustration” without being filmed.
The ATX Open, a WTA 250 event, responded by creating a secure, camera-free room where athletes can safely release tension.
Tournament organizers posted on social media: “Introducing the ATX Open rage room, the first of its kind, where players can privately express frustration or emotion in a safe, camera-free environment.” A broken racket and a sign reading “Don’t smile” and “Count to three” accompanied the announcement.
While most fans praised the initiative as a thoughtful nod to player mental health, some questioned whether allowing destructive venting could encourage physical expressions of frustration rather than healthier coping strategies.
A similar concept debuted this week at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where a “Smash Room” truck let fans try their hand at smashing items.
Chinese player Shang Juncheng demonstrated the experience, saying, “It’s loud and intense but in a good way. You get everything out of your system in there instead of taking that frustration onto the court.”
Unlike Dubai’s public setup, Austin’s rage room is strictly private for players.
