Gauff: Inspired Destruction Domicile

By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Photo credit: Tony Chang/Chang Photography

Coco Gauff is an avid architect of constructing points.

At the Australian Open, Gauff showed she was skilled at the art of deconstruction, too.

In fact, the reigning Roland Garros champion suggests she may also be the inspiration for the Rage Room.

At the ATX Open in Austin, tournament organizers created a Rage Room designed as a safe place “where players can privately express frustration or emotion in a safe, camera-free environment.”

Asked about the concept at her Indian Wells presser, Gauff, who unleashed racquet smashing frustration in the hallway of Rod Laver Arena that went viral during the Australian Open, said she may well be the source of inspiration for the destruction domicile.

“For sure it was inspired by me, I guess. So I’ll take it nicely,” Gauff told the media at the BNP Paribas Open. “I mean, I guess I would. I’m someone who doesn’t break a racquet like that often, but
when it happens, obviously, as you can see, it happens.

“So I guess I probably would use it. It’s not something you really plan, but I definitely try not to do it on camera or on court.”

The two-time Grand Slam champion joked she should “book one of those” to unleash primal pain in privacy.

“So, yeah, if I felt like I needed to let go some frustration, I would definitely be in the Rage Room,” Gauff said. “Yeah, they have ones, I think here, so maybe I should book one of those and actually like break plates and stuff, that would be probably more fun than a racquet.”