Iga Swiatek expressed support for Coco Gauff’s concerns about the constant camera gaze at tennis tournaments, calling for more privacy and space for players to function “without attracting the entire world’s attention.”

Gauff highlighted her lack of privacy after her loss in the Australian Open quarter-finals on Tuesday, when complaints about her leaving the court and banging her racket went viral online. She said “we can have a conversation” about the seemingly unlimited access of some type of cameras that track players from the locker room to the court and everywhere in between.

Swiatek, who lost 7-5, 6-1 to fifth-seeded Elena Rybakina on Wednesday, was asked what she thought about the lack of an off-camera area for players and what she thought about the balance between entertainment and player privacy.

“The question is, are we tennis players or are we like the animals that are also observed when they poop at the zoo?” she said, slightly apologizing for the latter reference. “Okay, that was obviously an exaggeration, but it’s nice to have some privacy.

“I don’t know, but it would be nice to have your own process and not necessarily be monitored.”

Swiatek and Gauff are two of the top three players in women’s tennis, so it’s no surprise that all eyes will be on them at this tournament.

The scene of Swiatek being stopped by a security guard after forgetting his qualifications became a meme. She has won Wimbledon and the US Open four times in addition to the French Open, but security is security.

Surveillance using off-court cameras is also used at other tournaments, and is not limited to the Australian Open. At the Australian Open, organizers have built a three-week festival around the season-opening major, incorporating all sorts of fan engagement activities.

There’s no need to remind players that while footage from non-public areas of the stadium isn’t always broadcast, some moments captured can end up on the internet as cute, informative, or downright dramatic.

Novak Djokovic agreed that camera access could go too far, but he’s not sure if things will change soon.

“It’s really sad that you basically can’t run and hide anywhere, and what do you call frustration and anger in a way that can’t be caught on camera?” he said. “But we live in a society and era where content is everything, so it becomes a deeper discussion.

“I think it would be very difficult for the trend to change in the opposite direction, to get rid of the cameras. Even if we did, it would just stay the same or have more cameras.”

Swiatek, ranked No. 2 in the world, said he wanted to practice right before competing and “I wish I had a space where I could do that without attracting the whole world’s attention.”

She is one of Poland’s star athletes and is fully aware that being in the public eye is part of being a tennis champion.

“We’re tennis players,” she said. “We’re meant to be noticed on the court and in the press. That’s our job. It’s not our job to become a meme when we forget our credentials. Oh, that’s funny, yeah, sure. People have things they want to talk about. But I don’t think it’s necessary for us.”

Gauff, a two-time major champion and the world’s No. 3 player, crashed her racket seven times into the concrete floor of a ramp near the players’ area after losing to Elina Svitolina on the 10th day.

She struggled with her serve during the 59-minute match, but calmly left center court and tried to find somewhere to vent in the shadows.

After all, there is very little on the Rod Laver Arena grounds that is out of camera range, except for the locker rooms.

“At one point, the same thing happened to the arena.” [Sabalenka] “After playing against her in the final of the U.S. Open, I don’t think it’s necessary to broadcast it. I don’t necessarily like breaking rackets, so I tried to go somewhere where I thought there would be no cameras,” Gauff said in the post-match press conference.

Gauff said she kept her racket in a quiet area because she thought it looked bad to bang it on the court where fans could see it.

“Well, maybe we can have a little conversation, because I think the only private place we have in this tournament is the locker room,” she said.

Sixth seed Jessica Pegula also said she supported Gauff after her straight-sets win over Amanda Anisimova on Wednesday, saying she did nothing wrong as it was a “private moment.”

Like Gauff and Swiatek, Pegula criticized the cameras that appear to follow players everywhere.

Regarding players’ privacy, Pegula said, “Coco was right when she said the only place is the locker room.” “We’re on the court on TV, we go in and we’re on TV. Literally the only time we’re not being recorded is when we take a shower and go to the bathroom. I think that definitely needs to be cut back.”

Pegula said she hopes Gauff’s story will spark further discussion about privacy issues.

“The situation here seems to be worse than it has been in other years, so I think it’s definitely going to be talked about and noticed again in the future,” Pegula said. “It’s very disturbing.”

Matt Walsh of The Associated Press and ESPN contributed to this report.