'Animals in a zoo': Players back Gauff call for more privacy

Melbourne: Coco Gauff called herself a real person with real feelings Wednesday as fellow players backed a call for more privacy during tournaments,...

Melbourne: Coco Gauff called herself "a real person with real feelings" Wednesday as fellow players backed a call for more privacy during tournaments, with Iga Swiatek saying they felt like "animals in the zoo" and Serena Williams defending her.

Third seed Gauff was upset when cameras caught her smashing her racquet in the depths of the stadium on Tuesday after she was beaten in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

The American was trying to find somewhere private to let out her frustrations and said she did not want to do so in front of fans including children.

"I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn't broadcast it, but obviously they did," Gauff said soon after.

"So maybe some conversations can be had because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room."