Sabalenka, Gauff back ‘rage rooms’ for players to blow off steam

INDIAN WELLS: Aryna Sabalenka likes the idea of ‘rage rooms’ at tournaments where players can vent their frustrations away from ​the cameras, though the world number one said there would ‌be nothing left to destroy after she uses it.

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 was unaware her frustrations at losing in the ⁠quarter-finals were being broadcast worldwide.

Sabalenka, who has had her own moments ​of frustration, was enthusiastic about the concept.

“Oh, that’s cool, let’s do ​that,” she told reporters on Tuesday in the buildup to the Indian Wells tournament. “But I think after me there will be nothing to destroy.

“I would be ​there the whole day.”

When asked about the rage room concept in ​Austin, Gauff was stunned to learn it was not an AI-generated fake.

“That was ‌real? ⁠I thought it was an AI, my mom sent it to me, and I told her it was AI,” she said. “She believes so many AI things.”

Gauff’s incident at Melbourne Park sparked debate about ​player privacy at tournaments, ​with Novak ⁠Djokovic and Iga Swiatek among those calling for greater protections for players away from the cameras.

The 21-year-old ​American was on board with the rage room ​idea.

“For sure ⁠it was inspired by me, I guess. So I’ll take it nicely,” she said.

“If I felt like I needed to let go some ⁠frustration, ​I would definitely be in the rage ​room,” she said, adding that breaking plates would be probably more fun than smashing ​a racquet.