Good morning, Court Theorists! ☕️
Today’s tennis mood: A little shocked + not worried at all.
Let’s tennis!
-Allen
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🎾 The Coco smash: There’s no way around it. Coco Gauff was absolutely routed by a better player in Elina Svitolina on Tuesday, 6-1, 6-2. In just 59 minutes, Gauff accumulated more than a set’s worth of unforced errors (26) against just three winners, and she had a game’s worth of double faults (5). Add to that mess of a situation that Svitolina played long stretches of flawless tennis, and she gave Gauff zero openings for a bounce-back.
Yes, but: It’s the Gauff racket smash that caught everyone’s attention. Except, it wasn’t supposed to. After leaving the court, Gauff went to a space where she thought cameras would not catch her, absolutely obliterating one of her frames, Sabalenka-style.
What she said: “I tried to go somewhere where they wouldn’t broadcast it, but obviously they did. Maybe some conversations can be had, because I feel like at this tournament the only private place we have is the locker room,” Gauff said during press. “I think for me, I know myself, and I don’t want to lash out on my team. They’re good people. They don’t deserve that, and I know I’m emotional,” Gauff said, adding, “I just took the minute to go and do that. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Like I said, I don’t try to do it on court in front of kids and things like that, but I do know I need to let out that emotion.”
Noteworthy: Trying to do the right thing doesn’t always land you in the place you want. And if anybody deserves some grace on this, it’s Coco Gauff. But Coco should know by now: the cameras are e v e r y w h e r e.
🎾 And that’s a good reminder…that you still have a few days to enter to win Elina Svitolina’s racket. We’ve partnered with Diadem to give away one of Elina Svitolina’s stunning new rackets: The Elina Svitolina Signature Axis 98. The racket giveaway is for Court Theory Plus members who have signed up for a yearly subscription. And, if you’re a monthly subscriber, Diadem’s got you covered, too, with a backpack filled with gear coming in at a $150+ value. If you’re already a Court Theory Plus member, you’re automatically entered. Upgrade Now! She’s in the semis, y’all!
🎾 Hurting: Juan Carlos Ferrero had more to say about what it’s like living his post-Carlos Alcaraz life. As we called out in The Daily Theory yesterday, Ferrero has gone into golf coaching for 2026. In an interview with TenGolf, he elaborated on how difficult things have been and why he opted for “a change of scenery.”
What he said: “It’s hard to watch Carlos compete and your whole team sitting in the chair. It’s not easy what you feel,” Ferrero said. “I'm very happy with his game, because he’s winning and he hasn't lost a set yet. He’s at a great level. Congratulations to him and keep it up.” He added: “I needed a change of scenery. I received offers to stay in tennis, but the opportunity arose to work with [golfer] Angel Ayora in a world that I know and like.”
🎾 One to watch: Jessica Pegula vs. Amanda Anisimova (Quarterfinals - Australian Open - Melbourne): Two top Americans battling for the semifinals in Melbourne? Count us in! Both players are in top form. And although this time Anisimova is the higher seed, Pegula no doubt feels this is another opportunity to take a major, given her level of play. The problem is, so does Anisimova. Who wins this one? Magic 8 Ball says: Better not tell you now.
The record: Jessica Pegula has a perfect 3-0 record over Amanda Anisimova. However, their last meeting was in the summer of 2024 — a fun three-setter in the final of Toronto.
On the line: Neither player has to worry about ranking points at this stage of the tournament. For both of them, this is about getting a shot at their first major title by advancing to the semifinals.
🎾 🏆 🎤 YOUR CALL
(Yesterday’s poll results: 71.43% of you wanted Iva Jovic to defeat Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka won 6-3, 6-0.)
And that’s game.
