Following the incident involving Coco Gauff, the Australian Open chief has now spoken out.
Australian Open chief Craig Tiley has weighed in on the privacy debate at the Melbourne tournament following criticism from tennis stars such as Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.
“We want to listen to the players, we really want to understand what their needs and desires are,” Tiley told the Tennis Channel, “so that’s the first question we’re going to ask.”
“We have heard you and will make all the necessary adjustments,” Tiley explained, but also pointed out that while there are television cameras in the fitness room, among other places, other locations are off-limits, including the changing rooms, the coaches’ room, and the recovery rooms. “There’s a fine line between promoting the players and promoting the event and where the cameras are placed,” Tiley said. “We will continue to review this and make sure the players are comfortable with it.” At the same time, however, the aim is to bring fans and athletes closer together, “because we believe that as tennis players, we can really help to increase their value and also the fans’ love for them.” It is “a balancing act that we must continue to perform.” The debate about privacy was triggered when French Open winner Gauff smashed her racket in the locker room after her quarterfinal defeat to Elina Svitolina (1-6, 2-6) and was caught on camera doing so. Gauff subsequently expressed her displeasure that a private moment in which she vented her frustration had been broadcast worldwide.
Several players came to Gauff’s defense. Among others, world number two Swiatek backed her up: “The question is: Are we tennis players or are we animals in a zoo that are even watched when they poop?”