Overview
- The WTA 250 event in Austin announced the facility on social media as a first-of-its-kind, describing it as a safe, camera-free environment for players.
- Promotional imagery showed a broken racket beside signage reading “don’t smile” and “count to three.”
- The move follows Gauff’s corridor outburst in Melbourne, where she said she tried to find a spot that would not be broadcast and felt the locker room was the only private place.
- Top players including Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek have publicly called for clearer off-court privacy, with Swiatek criticizing constant surveillance.
- A comparable “Smash Room” has been showcased in Dubai, where Shang Juncheng praised its effects, while players at the ATX Open have not yet provided feedback on the new room.