Aryna Sabalenka likes the idea of a safe place to blow off steam. Just maybe not after she is done with it.
The world number one laughed at the concept of tournament “rage rooms,” a space where players can vent away from cameras, after the ATX Open in Austin introduced one following a high-profile outburst by Coco Gauff at the Australian Open.
“Oh, that’s cool, let’s do that,” Sabalenka said Tuesday ahead of Indian Wells. “But I think after me there will be nothing to destroy. I would be there the whole day.”
The Austin initiative came in response to Gauff’s racket-smashing moment in Melbourne, when her quarterfinal loss frustrations were broadcast worldwide. The episode sparked a broader conversation about privacy and how much access tournaments should allow behind the scenes.
Gauff, 21, initially thought news of the rage room was fake.
“That was real? I thought it was AI,” she said, laughing. “My mom sent it to me, and I told her it was AI. She believes so many AI things.”
Once convinced, she embraced it.
“If I felt like I needed to let go some frustration, I would definitely be in the rage room,” Gauff said, adding that smashing plates might be more satisfying than sacrificing another racquet.
The debate has drawn support from leading voices. Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek have both called for stronger protections for players away from constant camera coverage, arguing that raw moments should not always become viral content.
While Sabalenka joked about destruction, she also delivered joyful news.
The Belarusian announced her engagement to Georgios Frangulis, CEO of global health brand OakBerry, just days before returning to competition. The pair have been dating since 2024.
“All good guys, everything happened, but look how I look,” she told her 4.7 million Instagram followers, flashing her ring.
She had hinted at the next step after winning the Brisbane International in January, thanking her boyfriend and teasing, “Hopefully, soon I’ll call you something else.”
Sabalenka has not played since falling to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final. Now she returns at Indian Wells with a bye into the second round, refreshed and still atop the rankings.
The combined ATP 1000 and WTA 1000 main draws begin Wednesday, launching the desert swing with plenty of star power and, if Austin’s experiment catches on, perhaps a few shattered plates behind closed doors.
