NOVAK DJOKOVIC AND SWIATEK JOIN COCO GAUFF: PLAYERS DEMAND "PRIVATE ZONES" AT AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2026
Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek have joined Coco Gauff in a fierce debate over player privacy after viral "tunnel" footage.
Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek have joined Coco Gauff in calling out the lack of privacy for players at the Australian Open, and Serena Williams also chimed in to support Gauff.
After Gauff lost 1-6, 2-6 to Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals, cameras caught her smashing her racket in a hallway backstage. The footage aired, and people everywhere saw a raw moment that probably wasn’t meant for public eyes.
In her press conference, Gauff didn’t hide her frustration. “I tried to go somewhere they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously they did,” she said. “Maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.”
Later, Gauff posted on social media: “Living and learning, but still will keep trying to move forward. Also, I’m a real person with real feelings… I care a lot, and I’m trying my best. Thank you to those who understand that.”
Swiatek, who went viral herself when cameras caught her forgetting her accreditation at Melbourne Park, backed Gauff after losing her own quarter-final to Elena Rybakina. “The question is, are we tennis players, or are we animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop? That was exaggerating, obviously, but it would be nice to have some privacy,” she said. “It would be nice also to have your own process and not always be observed.”
Swiatek pointed out that players expect to be watched on court and in the press—that’s part of the job. But being turned into memes for every little mistake off the court? Not so much. “It’s funny, for sure. People have something to talk about. But, for us, I don’t think it’s necessary,” she said.
Djokovic, after reaching the semi-finals, admitted he’s “against” all the cameras. He called it “frightening” when you forget they’re recording. “I empathise with her. I know what it feels like to break a racquet. I’ve done it a few times in my career. I know how it is to be frustrated, especially after a match where you underperform,” he said.
He didn’t sugarcoat it. “It’s really sad that you can’t move away anywhere and hide and fume out your frustration, your anger, in a way that won’t be captured by a camera. But we live in a society where content is everything. It’s a deeper discussion. I don’t see the trend going the other way. If anything, there’ll be more cameras. I’m surprised we don’t have cameras in the showers yet—that’s probably the next step.”
Djokovic wants limits. “There should be a borderline where this is our space. You gotta be careful. I remember the time when we didn’t have so many cameras. Getting used to having an eye always on you, which you sometimes forget about, is frightening. At times, you just want to relax and be yourself, without the public watching.”
Serena Williams took to social media to back Gauff, praising her passion and even joking that she could give her a lesson on smashing rackets. “Passion. Caring. Matters. Nothing wrong with hating to lose,” she wrote. “Now, Coco, when you want, I can show you how to demolish in one swipe… Serena style.”
WHY DID NOVAK DJOKOVIC REACH OUT TO MOISE KOUAME DESPITE WITHDRAWING FROM MIAMI 2026?
Moise Kouame, 17, becomes the youngest Miami Open winner in history and reveals a secret Instagram DM from Novak Djokovic.
Moise Kouame is only 17, but he’s already catching everyone’s eye in tennis. He started this year on fire, grabbing back-to-back ITF titles, then reaching a Challenger semi-final. Now, he's just picked up his first-ever win on the ATP Tour at a Masters 1000 event, no less.
In other news, Leicester City is fighting back against a six-point penalty for breaking financial rules.
Back to Kouame, the world No. 385 pulled off a gritty comeback against Zachary Svajda, winning 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, even while cramping up by the end. People packed Court 7 to watch him make his Masters 1000 debut as a wildcard. Even Novak Djokovic, who skipped the tournament with a shoulder injury, was watching from afar. Since 2019, Djokovic has only played in Miami once, when he was runner-up last year, but clearly, he’s still following the action.
Now, Kouame has made a bit of history. At 17 years and 13 days old, he’s the youngest man ever to win a match at the Miami Open, matched a Nadal record from 2003, and became the seventh-youngest winner at this level. Not bad for a debut. And then, right after his win, he got a message from his idol. Honestly, Kouame was left speechless.
When Steve Weissman from Tennis Channel interviewed him after his first main-draw tour win, Kouame couldn’t hide his nerves. “Actually, I have a small secret. After the win, Novak texted me. I’m so nervous. I don’t know what to answer! I’m really so nervous right now. I don’t know if I’m going to answer. Maybe if you have tips, maybe you can give me?”
He tried to figure out what to say. Should he just text, "Thank you, Novak"? Or maybe, "Thank you, my idol"? Nothing sounded right. “No, never [met him]. It’s my dream. [It was] on Instagram! He DMed me. So, imagine having your idol DM you like this. Oh my god. This is too much for me. Oh my god. Coolest thing ever.”
Weissman jumped in with a bit of advice, too: “Don’t just double-tap it; you’ve got to give a response. ‘Thanks so much, Novak. If you have any time to meet in the future, that would be amazing. Any tips you have, maybe some advice.’
Some tips from Djokovic would come in handy, especially with Kouame set to face 21st seed Jiri Lehecka next. He had to see the physio for cramps after his first-round win, but told Tennis Channel he was doing alright, just a little jittery about talking live on TV.
“Now I’m feeling good, quite stressed! Obviously, we’re live, and my English, all this – I’m quite stressed. But in the match it was cool. I had some cramps, but yeah, I managed to get over it and win at the end. I’m really happy with it,” he said.
What a ride: first big ATP win, a message from Djokovic, and now the whole tennis world is watching.
INSIDE JANNIK SINNER’S HISTORIC INDIAN WELLS VICTORY AS FIRST ITALIAN MALE CHAMPION
Jannik Sinner makes history as the first Italian man to win Indian Wells, defeating Daniil Medvedev in two tiebreaks.
Jannik Sinner crushed Daniil Medvedev’s hopes at Indian Wells Sunday night. Medvedev looked sharp all week; he even took down Carlos Alcaraz to reach the final.
But when it came to the championship match, Sinner edged him out in two tense tiebreaks, 7-6, 7-6. Medvedev’s loss stings, but let’s be real: his level this week showed he’s back to fighting for big trophies after a pretty rough 2025.
He’s set a big goal for himself, too, with all the pressure that comes along with it. After the match, Medvedev, now 30, talked about whether he’s the one who can break up Alcaraz and Sinner’s grip at the top; he even admitted he slipped up a bit in the final.
On that note, it’s wild how Alcaraz and Sinner have ruled the ATP Tour lately. Between them, they’ve grabbed the last nine Grand Slam titles and barely given anyone else a chance. Still, Medvedev made things interesting at Indian Wells by beating Alcaraz and pushing Sinner to the edge.
In his post-match press conference, Medvedev shared his thoughts on his future and the big question: Can he really challenge Sinner and Alcaraz?
He said, “Honestly, it’s a pleasure to play Sinner and Alcaraz. Last year, I didn’t even get a shot; they were out of reach because I kept losing early. I’m glad this time I played well enough to beat the others first, took down Carlos, and then got to face Jannik.
My goal? Not to obsess over them, but to work on my own game, beat everyone else, and then, chances are, in Miami, I'm going to run into one of them in the semis or the final if I play out of my mind.”
He continued, “It’s tough to say if I’m the guy to challenge them, honestly. I’ve lost a bunch against them, and again today with Jannik. But I know I can play top-level tennis. Whoever I meet next, whether it’s Carlos, Jannik, or someone else, I’ll just try to play my best tennis. I proved I can do it again here, in Dubai, and in Brisbane.
On any given day, anyone can challenge them; look at Jakub beating Jannik in Doha or me beating Carlos here. So it’s not just me, not just Novak, not just Sascha. But it’s hard, and that’s why by the end of the season, those guys have sixty wins and only five or six losses, half of those losses coming against each other. It’s a tough mountain to climb, but you just keep trying.”
Now, Sinner, Alcaraz, and Medvedev head to the Miami Masters, which kicks off Tuesday. The last time around, Jakub Mensik won there; it’s the second Masters 1000 event of 2026.
Sinner made history on Sunday. No Italian man had ever won Indian Wells until he pulled it off. He now owns 25 ATP titles and is the youngest player to win all six ATP hard-court Masters events. Back in 1974, John Newcombe was the tournament’s first champ, beating Arthur Ashe in the final. Since then, Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer have all lifted the trophy. Federer and Djokovic sit at the top with five Indian Wells titles each.
