Grand Slam champion suffers heavy defeat, smashes million-dollar 'treasure'

The 2026 Australian Open quarterfinal between two leading names concluded in a swift manner.

The 2023 US Open and 2025 Roland Garros champion - Coco Gauff was a huge disappointment at this year's Australian Open when she unexpectedly exited in the quarterfinals after a heavy loss to Elina Svitolina. As the tournament’s third seed and a strong contender for the title, Gauff was defeated quickly 1-6, 2-6 by the world No. 12 in a match lasting only 59 minutes.

Entering the quarterfinals with high expectations, Gauff had just set a milestone as the youngest player since Maria Sharapova to reach three consecutive Australian Open quarterfinals. However, she quickly fell behind due to Svitolina’s solid and proactive play. From the very first games, the two-time Grand Slam winner showed instability, making frequent errors and failing to control the match’s rhythm.

The first set lasted 29 minutes, with both players breaking early but Svitolina capitalizing better on opportunities. In the second set, the Ukrainian player maintained pressure, while Gauff increasingly lost confidence. Overall, the American made 26 unforced errors, including 12 from her forehand — usually her strength. Even her normally reliable backhand was no longer a support.

Gauff’s frustration was evident both on and off the court. As the match slipped away, she engaged in tense arguments with her coaching team, moments captured by cameras and discussed after the match. After leaving the court, the American smashed her HEAD racket worth nearly 8 million VND in the tunnel.

“That’s because of her. Svitolina forced me to play like that. Bad days usually happen because the opponent plays really well, and today she did just that.”Gauff said after the match.

Impressive loss of composure from Gauff.

When she thought no one was watching, she COMPLETELY DESTROYED her racket after the beating by Svitolina. pic.twitter.com/CDv30xLHUA

— José Morón (@jmgmoron) January 27, 2026

Coco Gauff couldn’t maintain her composure following the disappointing performance.

For Svitolina, this is one of the most remarkable wins in the 31-year-old’s career. Reaching the Australian Open semifinals for the first time, she will face top seed Aryna Sabalenka in her quest for a spot in her first Grand Slam final. Despite trailing in their head-to-head record, Monfils’ wife remains confident.