Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton have recently shared their thoughts on the rage room, which was introduced by the WTA 250 tournament, the ATX Open, following the former’s racquet-smashing incident during the Australian Open.
The American stars are all set to compete at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open, which features a top-notch lineup and will be played from March 4 to 15 at Indian Wells, California.
Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton Engage in Playful Exchange Considering Austin’s Rage Room
Gauff is entering the outdoor hardcourt WTA 1000 tournament, which will be held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, as the fourth seed, with Mirra Andreeva as the defending champion. The world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, is the top seed, with Iga Świątek as the Australian Open champion, Elena Rybakina as the third, among others.
During her recent press conference ahead of her title run, she was asked about the rage room, which the ATX Open has introduced for players to vent their frustration without the public’s eyes. The need for privacy arose after Gauff’s fury was broadcast, as she had smashed her racquet after losing to Elina Svitolina at Melbourne Park in the quarterfinals.
The Florida native, who was surprised after knowing that the rage room was a real concept, expressed, “That was real? I thought it was an AI — my mom sent it to me, and I told her it was AI. She believes so many AI things. For sure, it was inspired by me, I guess (smiling). So I’ll take it nicely. I’m someone who doesn’t break a racquet like that often, but when it happens, obviously, as you can see, it happens.”
She further mentioned, light-heartedly reflecting that she could use one of them to vent out her wrath, “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. I felt like I needed to let go some frustration, I would definitely be in the Rage Room. I should book one of those and actually like break plates and stuff, that would be probably more fun than a racquet.”
Whereas Shelton will be competing at Indian Wells as the eighth seed and is coming off after clinching the title at the Dallas Open, defeating Taylor Fritz in the final.
During his press conference, he was also asked about the rage room, and, as a player who competes with high intensity and emotion, Shelton gave a positive nod: “I mean, yeah, probably (smiling). I probably would use it. I have to look at — I didn’t hear about it or see anything about it, but yeah, I’d probably use it. Yeah, I’ve got some anger, for sure (smiling).”
Along with Shelton, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Fritz, Tommy Paul, and others will be competing for the title.
