'Time and a place': Ash Barty weighs in on Coco Gauff racquet smash furore

MELBOURNE: Former Australian Open champion Ash Barty has given her perspective on Coco Gauff's epic backstage racquet smashing on Tuesday night.

The world No.3 from the United States went into the quarter-final as favourite against Elina Svitolina but the Ukrainian veteran blew her away 6-1, 6-2 in just 59 minutes.

It was an extraordinary watch as one of the best tennis players on the planet simply had no answers.

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Gauff's scattered mindset was underscored on a point where she inexplicably changed the racquet in her hands and played an unsuccessful shot with her left.

To her credit, the 21-year-old largely kept her composure on Rod Laver Arena and was gracious towards Svitolina.

But Gauff then let it all out when she thought she had found some privacy from the omnipresent Australian Open cameras.

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Barty, who admits she's never smashed a racquet in frustration herself, said the key for players is to be aware of where you are and aren't being filmed.

"From a player's point of view, it's being aware of where the cameras are," the Aussie former world No.1 told 3AW Radio on Thursday.

"It's knowing the places you can go for that private conversation with your team or that private moment for yourself.

"It's just about being aware of that. No doubt over the last few years, the visibility for the public has increased to give the public more insight into what players go through, whether they're warming up, stretching, in the gym, discussions with their teams.

"I think from a player's point of view, and certainly my point of view, it's just about being aware of where those areas are so you can have those private conversations.

"For us that was often off-site. Whether it was at my house or a hotel room or wherever.

"I certainly had many heated discussions with my team ... it's about being aware of your surroundings and knowing there's a time and a place to have those discussions."

Jelena Dokic meanwhile implored Australian tennis fans to cut Gauff some slack for her racquet smashing display.

"It's difficult, because these are the things that you sometimes don't see, behind the scenes, that we go through," Australian great Dokic told Stan Sport's Grand Slam Daily.

"And having such a tough day, and being under so much pressure and expectation, and so many times you feel like you've got to let it out somewhere.

"What I love with Coco though is what she said. 'I actually broke my racquets on court at Roland-Garros a couple of years ago, and I said that I will never do that on court again because I really want to be a great role model for the younger generation.

"And that says so much about her and what she wants to stand for, and the way that she carries herself. So she wanted to do that, kind of off the court, and I understand that part as well."

The AO cameras provide the vision to broadcasters including Nine and Stan.

Dokic, a teen prodigy who rose to world No.4 despite being coached by an abusive father, knows all too well about dealing with extreme pressure.

Dokic has since bravely shared her life story with the world, warts and all.

"It's just tough to do it (be in the constant spotlight) as a 21-year-old with the whole world watching," she continued.

"But it brings this human aspect to it I think and the vulnerability that I think we need to respect as well. Because it is so hard with what athletes go through: pressure, expectation in an individual sport and I completely get it.

"It's a tough one to be in because our sport is so big, it's such a global sport, growing every year, massively. And that does come with broadcasters and all eyes being on you as well, so it's a fine line for everyone, for the tournament, for the broadcasters, for the players.

"But I don't think this takes anything away from who Coco Gauff is.

"She's an amazing player, but an amazing person as well... Coco showed a bit of that human side of us that we maybe don't see on the court."