Sabalenka and Gauff Back Rage Rooms for Players at Tournaments

By Eppe Franklyne

• Aryna Sabalenka supports the concept of rage rooms for players to vent frustrations privately.
• Sabalenka joked she might destroy everything if she used one, saying she could be there “the whole day.”
• Coco Gauff expressed surprise that the rage room was real and backed the idea for managing stress away from cameras.
• The ATX Open in Austin, Texas, introduced the rage room after Gauff’s racket-smashing incident at the Australian Open.
• Both players emphasized the importance of player privacy and stress relief during tournaments.

Aryna Sabalenka likes the idea of ‘rage rooms’ at tournaments where players can vent frustrations away from cameras, though she joked that there would be nothing left to destroy after her use.

Sabalenka’s comments came after the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, launched a rage room in response to Coco Gauff’s racket-smashing incident at the Australian Open, where the American’s frustrations were broadcast worldwide.

“Oh, that’s cool; let’s do that,” Sabalenka said. “But I think after me there will be nothing to destroy. I would be there the whole day.”

Gauff admitted she was initially stunned to learn the rage room was real. “That was real? I thought it was AI. My mom sent it to me, and I told her it was AI,” she said.

The 21-year-old American endorsed the rage room, adding, “If I felt like I needed to let go of some frustration, I would definitely be in the rage room. Breaking plates would probably be more fun than smashing a racquet.”