Are tennis players being treated like zoo animals? Iga Swiatek thinks so

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Iga Swiatek picked up a theme that Coco Gauff left the Australian Open with after the 21-year-old American’s racket-smashing, frustration-releasing moments away from the court went viral.

Gauff said a “conversations needs to had” about the seemingly limitless access-all-areas cameras that track players from the locker room to the court and just about everywhere in between.

After her 7-5, 6-1 quarterfinal loss to fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina on Wednesday, Swiatek was asked how she feels about the lack of off-camera areas for the players and what she thinks should the balance between entertainment, constant content and player privacy.

“Yeah, the question is, are we tennis players, or are we, like, animals in the zoo where they are observed even when they poop, you know?” she said, apologizing slightly for the latter reference. “OK, that was exaggerating obviously, but it would be nice to have some privacy.

“It would be nice also to, I don’t know, have your own process and not always be, like, observed.”

Swiatek and Gauff are two of the top three players in women’s tennis, so it stands to reason they’ll be more in focus at the tournament.

Vision of Swiatek being stopped by security after forgetting her credential became a meme. She’s won four French Open titles as well as Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. But security is, well, security.

Fan engagement encouraged

The off-court camera surveillance occurs at other tournaments and isn’t confined to the Australian Open, where organizers have created a three-week festival around the season-opening major by incorporating all kinds of fan engagement activities.

The vision from the non-public areas stadium isn’t always broadcast, but players don’t need reminding that some moments that get captured will turn up on the internet for being cute, informative or just outright dramatic.

No. 2-ranked Swiatek said there were parts of her game she’d like to practice immediately before walking out for a match and “it would be nice to have some space where you can do that without the whole world watching.”

The 24-year-old is one of Poland’s star athletes, and is fully aware that being in the public gaze is part-and-parcel of being a tennis champion.

“We’re tennis players. We’re meant to be watched on the court, you know, and in the press. That’s our job,” she said. “It’s not our job, like, be a meme when you forget your accreditation.

“Oh, it’s funny, yeah, for sure. People have something to talk about. But for us I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Gauff’s racket

No. 3-ranked Gauff, a two-time major winner, smashed her racket into the concrete floor of a ramp near the player area seven times after her Australian Open quarterfinal loss to Elina Svitolina on Day 10.

She struggled with her serve in the 59-minute match, and stayed composed as she left the center court before trying to find somewhere in the shadows to vent.

Turned out, there’s pretty much no place with the confines of Rod Laver Arena except for the locker rooms that is beyond the scope of the cameras.

“Certain moments — the same thing happened to Aryna (Sabalenka) after I played her in the final of the U.S. Open — I feel like they don’t need to broadcast,” Gauff said in her post-match news conference. “I tried to go somewhere where I thought there wasn’t a camera because I don’t necessarily like breaking rackets.”

She said she didn’t want to smash her racket on the court within sight of fans because she didn’t think it was a good look, which is why she saved it for a quieter area.

“So, yeah, maybe some conversations can be had,” she said, “because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room.”

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