This week at the Australian Open, Coco Gauff’s private moment of frustration, caught on camera, ignited a tennis-wide conversation. Attention shifted from match results to the aftermath, with officials, top players, and legends weighing in. And now, after showing support once, Serena Williams again backed Gauff, offering guidance after seeing footage of Gauff smashing her racket.

During a recent interview with Access Hollywood, Williams was asked why it is important not to judge athletes for showing frustration in sports. She replied, “As an athlete, you work your whole life, in particular, for tennis for these Grand Slams. And when you get there, you have these expectations, you have this pressure. You go in there, thinking you’re going to win. And when it doesn’t happen, then things might be a little rough on that day.”

Williams later added, “Listen, I’m the queen of breaking rackets, literally. So, I was, like, ‘Oh my God, this is crazy.’ I did think she could have improved on breaking the racket. I do it in one swipe. I’ve demolished them in one swipe, so it should be humor. I mean, what’s the big deal? I mean, obviously, it’s whatever, who cares.”

This isn’t the first time Williams has shown support for Coco Gauff’s racket-smashing incident. After the videos went viral, the tennis community immediately defended Gauff.

Alexis Ohanian, Williams’ husband, posted on social media: “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.”

Sharing Ohanian’s post on X, Williams added, “Well said. @alexisohanian Passion. Caring. Matters. Nothing wrong with hating to lose. Now, Coco, when you want, I can show you how to demolish in one swipe… Serena style 🙊 🤷🏾‍♀️”

The racket-smashing incident occurred after Gauff’s quarterfinal exit at the Australian Open. She lost 6-1, 6-2 to Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in just 59 minutes, struggling throughout the match. She made 26 unforced errors, five double faults, and no aces

Svitolina attacked from the baseline, breaking Gauff’s serve repeatedly. Gauff was forced to play defensively and scramble to stay in points. After leaving the court, Gauff thought no cameras were on her, as tried to release her emotions behind a wall. However, a security camera captured the moment, and it quickly went viral on social media.

As for Williams, she’s broken her fair share of rackets back in her day. And her smashes were a little less tame than Gauff’s.

Serena Williams fined $10,000 for Wimbledon racket incident

Serena Williams’ racket-breaking incidents form a long list that often came with heavy fines during her career. 

One clear example came at Wimbledon in 2016. Williams was fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct during her second-round match against fellow American Christina McHale. The incident happened after she lost the first set.

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After dropping that opening set, Williams returned to her chair, visibly upset. She slammed her racket against the grass several times. She then tossed it backward, and it landed in the lap of a cameraman sitting in the photo pit.

Following the match, Williams admitted she expected to be fined. She even joked about her history with broken rackets. “I’ve cracked a number of rackets throughout my career,” Williams said. “I’ve gotten fined a number of times for cracking rackets.”

That same year, she had another emotional outburst at the Rio Olympics. Williams was playing Alizé Cornet and started strongly. She won the first three games and collected 17 of the first 21 winners.

Momentum suddenly shifted in that match. Williams lost five of the next six games and fell behind 5-4. Frustration quickly showed as the match slipped away from her control.

During that stretch, Williams destroyed her racket. She slammed it against the green-and-white sideline bench. She then dropped it dismissively onto the court, showing clear anger at the situation.

One of her most famous moments came at the 2018 US Open final against Naomi Osaka. Trouble began when the chair umpire issued a warning. He said he saw coaching from Williams’ coach during the second set.

Williams strongly denied the accusation and defended her integrity. “I don’t cheat to win,” she shouted at the umpire. “I would rather lose.” The argument continued and became increasingly tense.

She later received another violation after smashing her racket, costing her a point. When she called the umpire a “thief,” she was hit with a third violation and lost a game, falling behind 3-5. 

Today, as she supports Coco Gauff, Williams’ stance reflects understanding. Tennis is an intense sport, and emotions can sometimes boil over under pressure. What do you think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments below.