US EditionAre Tennis Players Being Treated Like Zoo Animals? Iga Swiatek Thinks So
Top players including Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff say constant camera coverage at the Australian Open leaves no private space beyond locker rooms for players to prepare or vent.
- Jan 27, 2026 Iga Świątek backed Coco Gauff's privacy concerns after viral off‑court clips, saying players are treated like animals under constant observation and a clip of her stopped for lacking accreditation became a meme.
- Tournament organisers and broadcasters use wide camera access to create continuous content and fan engagement; within Rod Laver Arena, only the locker room remains consistently private during the Australian Open three-week festival.
- Coco Gauff repeatedly vented off court and struggled with her serve in a 59-minute match, smashing her racket seven times into a ramp near the player area after losing to Elina Svitolina.
- Support from peers and past champions followed the viral clip, with Coco Gauff urging talks about all‑areas cameras tracking players from locker rooms to courts, while Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova called off‑court surveillance intrusive and Serena Williams defended Gauff's passion.
- Recorded clips quickly propagate via broadcasters and social media platforms, turning private moments into public memes, as seen with Aryna Sabalenka and top players Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff at the Australian Open.
77 Articles
77 Articles
The number two in the world, the Polish Iga Swiatek, questioned the increasing media exposure of the tennis players off the track and claimed greater privacy for the players after troubles at the Australian Open. The European one, worth mentioning, was captured by cameras when she forgot her badge and had to wait for an assistant to take it. And another player, the American Coco Gauff, was recorded when she was tearing apart a racket even though…
Cameras in the gym, cameras in the corridors, cameras everywhere: The Coco Gauff case triggers a fierce debate in Melbourne – do tennis professionals no longer have privacy?
Iga Swiatek Blasts Australian Open Broadcasters: "Are We Animals In The Zoo?"
Coco Gauff called herself "a real person with real feelings" as fellow players backed a call for more privacy during tournaments, with Iga Swiatek saying they felt like "animals in the zoo".
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