Following the ATX Open's unveiling of a private rage room for players—as previously reported—Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka shared reactions ahead of Indian Wells. Gauff humorously claimed it was inspired by her Australian Open outburst, while Sabalenka enthusiastically endorsed smashing items there.
The ATX Open's innovative rage room, introduced last week to give players a camera-free space to vent frustrations, has garnered attention from top stars. As detailed in initial coverage, the private facility features signs like “don’t smile” and a broken racket image, inspired by privacy concerns after Coco Gauff's racket-smashing in the players' area at the January Australian Open—a moment captured live despite her expectations.
Ahead of the Indian Wells Masters, where both received first-round byes, Aryna Sabalenka voiced strong support. “Oh, that’s cool, let’s do that,” said the expressive world No. 2. She joked, “But I think after me there will be nothing to destroy. I would be there the whole day.”
Gauff, whose incident fueled the debate, first questioned the tournament's social media reveal. “That was real? I thought it was AI … My mom sent it to me, and I told her it was an AI,” she said, laughing off her skepticism. Embracing the idea, she added, “For sure, it was inspired by me, I guess. So I’ll take it nicely.” Gauff confirmed she'd use it: “If I felt like I needed to let go of some frustration, I would definitely be in the rage room,” preferring “breaking plates and stuff ... probably more fun than a racquet.”
The concept aligns with ongoing tennis discussions on player well-being. While players like Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek have called for off-court privacy, Jessica Pegula noted locker-room smashing isn't ideal. For fans, Dubai Tennis Championships offers a public “Smash Room” truck, which Chinese player Shang Juncheng enjoyed: “I smashed a few items, including DVDs and big containers ... You get everything out of your system.” Austin's version remains player-exclusive.
As reactions pour in, the rage room highlights evolving support for mental health in tennis.
