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USA's Coco Gauff celebrates after winning against Romania's Sorana Cirstea at the 2026 Italian Open.

Coco Gauff continued her strong run at the French Open on Thursday while once again addressing the controversy surrounding her viral racket-smashing moment from earlier this year.

The defending champion defeated Egyptian qualifier Mayar Sherif in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, on Court Suzanne Lenglen to advance to the third round at Roland Garros.

Gauff, the tournament’s fourth seed, admitted afterward that the match tested her mentally and physically despite the comfortable final score.

“It was a physical match, a tough match, my patience was really tested today,” Gauff said after the win, according to the Roland Garros official website.

The 22-year-old will next face either Anastasia Potapova or Katie Boulter in the round of 32.

Gauff has now reached at least the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in each of the past five years.

“No expectations,” Gauff said when asked whether winning the title last year changed her mindset entering the tournament.

“I’m just having fun.”

Coco Gauff Revisits Viral Australian Open Racket Incident

Following the victory, Gauff also addressed the controversy that erupted after the Australian Open earlier this year.

In January, cameras captured Gauff smashing a racket in what she believed was a private underground corridor following her quarterfinal loss in Melbourne.

The footage quickly spread online and reignited conversations about player privacy at major tournaments.

Gauff revealed this week that she never received a direct apology or response from the Australian Open over the incident.

“I mean, I didn’t get anything from my email that I know of,” Gauff said with a smile.

“I know that WTA sent something, but obviously they’re different from the grand slams, just them wanting to reiterate and that they are going to talk to the slams about different private areas and things like that.”

The issue became one of the major talking points in tennis this season as players pushed back against the growing number of cameras inside player-only areas.

French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo recently confirmed that Roland Garros would continue to maintain designated camera-free spaces for athletes.

Gauff praised the tournament’s approach while speaking with reporters in Paris.

“I feel like the French Open does a really good job with the cameras,” Gauff explained.

“I haven’t had any experiences where they broadcasted something, an emotional moment or anything like that.”

She added, “I’m sure I have been crying in that gym before and they’ve never broadcasted that.”

Tennis Players Continue Speaking Out About Privacy Concerns

The debate surrounding cameras inside player areas has continued growing throughout the tennis world in recent months.

Madison Keys revealed she previously pushed for fewer intrusive cameras around tournaments but was unsuccessful.

“Obviously, the way that the tours work, the players and the tournaments have to both agree to things in order to make a rule move forward,” Keys explained, via The Guardian.

“If the players want it, but the tournaments think that it’s great and it’s good for broadcasting, and they make more money, then we’re just going to have a stalemate.”

Another major controversy occurred earlier this year involving Carlos Alcaraz.

During the Australian Open, cameras captured Alcaraz scrolling through his phone in a transportation area. Viewers could reportedly see what the tennis star was viewing on his screen.

Alcaraz later admitted the moment felt invasive.

“For us, the players, it’s weird because we don’t have that space that we can be chilling,” Alcaraz said.

“We’re thinking all the time that there are cameras and everyone is watching us.”

The reigning Wimbledon champion added that he believes “there should be a line” regarding what broadcasters are allowed to show.

Meanwhile, Gauff remains focused on defending her French Open title after another strong start in Paris.

The American star has now won four consecutive matches at Roland Garros dating back to last year’s championship run and appears firmly in contention once again heading into the tournament’s second week.