Laura Siegemund | Just watched the post-match interview of Laura Siegemund after having lost her first-round match against Cori Gauff in three sets. Goosebumps! She bitterly and all in tears complains about how she was treated by the American audience. 100% agreed!!! Especially as she openly admits being far too slow with her serve. Which obviously was the cause for the whole hassle. Here's the → link. Watch it, it's worth it!
Meanwhile I saw a clip with Cory heavily complaining to the chair umpire about the to her annoying tardiness of the German. Well, well, well... ... ...
Right click on the header, then 'open in new tab' in order to watch the image in original size (1920x1080).
© Christian Brockmeier | all rights reserved
© Christian Brockmeier | all rights reserved
Transcript
00:00:21
Laura, what was your perspective on what was going on out there this evening? How did you see what was happening on the call? Sorry, I don’t know what she said. I was doing recovery, so I don’t know what she said. Yeah, my perspective is that it was a very good match. I played really good tennis. I think I was a better player on the first set.
00:00:51
I managed to play in a way that she didn’t like, and I was very offensive, but I was mixing it up well. Then we had a very long game in the second set, my first service game that was physically very demanding and took a lot of energy from me. That basically probably cost me the match. I never really recovered from that game physically.
00:01:26
And she served really well in the second. In the third, I don’t have to be down to five. It can be three four. It has to be three four. So I could have kept it closer in the third. And everything apart from tennis, that it was really a good match. I want to say from both of us, I mean, from her. Not because I made her not play her best tennis in the way how I structured the rallies. But I think it was great tennis. It was a great show.
00:01:57
Both fought hard. I think an audience watching a night session match cannot ask for more. And this is something where I have to say I am very, very disappointed of the way the people treated me today. I think I’m a fighter. I never did anything against the audience.
00:02:22
I stayed calm. I never made not even a gesture against the audience. And they had no respect for me. They had no respect for the way I played. They had no respect for the player that I am.
00:02:43
They had no respect for tennis for me today, for good tennis. And this is something that I have to say that hurts really bad, because there is no doubt about that. I’m slow. There is no doubt about I’m getting time violations. There is no doubt about that. I should be quicker, but at the same time, it’s how I play. I’m very slow. I do it for me. I don’t do it against the other one. And just like how clapping when you miss the first serve, those kind of things, I have no understanding for it.
00:03:28
I was very disappointed. I thought I’d go out there. I have a great time on Ash, I have to say. I had not a good time, and that was just for the audience. I just play tennis. I focus on tennis at all times. The umpire, I know her, we don’t have a very good relationship was also unfortunate to have her out there. Yeah, of course I’m disappointed to lose the match, but I’m disappointed at how they treated me out there. Have you ever experienced an atmosphere like that? Only on ash.
00:04:06
I have to say this kind of unfair just respectless behavior toward the non American player I have only experienced here on this court. I don’t even want to say out on the other courts, I don’t know, but not in a different country. Like, for example, when I’m looking at Stutgart where I played, I mean, people are crazy for the German. They were crazy for me. I understand they are crazy for the American and they want her to win.
00:04:41
But to treat the opponent like this, it’s just not good for tennis. I mean, if you play an unbelievable shot, you got to give them something. I don’t know. I think I did a good job in just staying calm and focusing on my job out there. Does it make you think twice about wanting to play back here again? I have to say yes. I mean, I won here two times.
00:05:05
I left any minute of any game I played here. Everything out on the court, and this is how they treat me in a match like that full stadium against Coco, who won two tournaments recently. And that’s the kind of performance I play. That’s why I play tennis. But to be treated like that, I mean, I would only come back because of the slam, but for sure not for the people.
00:05:31
And to give them a show, if they are like this, they don’t deserve a show. I’m shocked a little bit, I have to say. How did the crowd dynamic affect your play, do you feel? Not at all. I have to say I’m proud about myself. I’m mentally very strong. I don’t care. I don’t need the people on my side. But would I enjoy more if you played a great shot and the people would scream and give you the respect you deserve for your performance in that moment? Yes, you enjoy it more. And what do I play tennis for?
00:06:08
I’m 35. What do I play tennis for? I made good money. I’m not going to probably reach my best rankings anymore, not in singles. I play out there for the people. I play for the effort. I can still play. My body is giving me the chance to play a little bit more. And I know there are fans out there that appreciate fighting and not giving up and just good sport and yeah, I think it’s the first time I’m crying in a press conference. I thought as a tennis player, you are a performer.
00:06:45
You owe the people. You owe the kids that watch. You owe the people that buy tickets for a lot of money. And I’m just a bit I mean, at the end of the day, I go home and I can look at myself and I can say, I did a great job, but did I get anything from the people for that? Maybe it’s not zero. Maybe it feels like zero right now, but it feels pretty much like a flat zero, even less than a zero, because they treated me bad. Like, they treated me like I was a cheater, like I was trying sneaky ways to win this match or something. They treated me like I was a bad person.
00:07:28
But, you know, there are people who are throwing rackets, who are screaming, who are, like, making bad gestures toward the audience. I did not one moment in the whole match, and there was a lot of tension going on. Not one moment I did anything. I was just low, and that’s something in the rule. I get my time violation. That’s fine. You’ve talked about this role. Do you think they think you’re doing it on purpose and not I have no idea. I don’t think about what the people think. I have no idea. Probably.
00:08:03
I don’t know. I think they just want to push. I have a feeling they just want to push you down. They just want the other one to win so bad that they just want to do anything to push you down. I mean, they’re fucking sorry. Freaking sneezing when you’re tossing and clapping, when you miss a first serve, I mean, what is that? That’s the only thing that they want to get in your head. The only thing? I can say they didn’t. I don’t care.
00:08:31
When I’m on the court, I don’t care. Is it nice? For sure, not. But it’s not affecting my game. Not me. But when you’re after it and think about it and you think about your experience, about when you calm down and you think about what happened out there, it just makes me sad. Just makes me sad, because let’s be honest, there are a lot of people, they’re like, okay, I’m not going to win this match anymore. I’m not going to run every point down. They just give up mentally and maybe even a little bit playing wise. And I really try to win every point until the end.
00:09:05
I think that has to have a little bit of deserves a little bit of respect. Also. The end of the match, is there anything that you would look back on and think, maybe I should have addressed this differently, or is there any sense of that behavior? I’m not understanding the question. Now that you’ve had a bit of time after the match, is there anything that you look back on and think that maybe you could have done differently on the court? Yeah. That could have affected how things were perceived?
00:09:39
Not really. I mean, be faster, be faster. Don’t go to the towel. Be ready. Don’t look at the clock and let it go down. It’s the only thing. But there I have to clearly say I’m not the youngest anymore. If there are long rallies, I struggle physically a little bit. I need 25 seconds to rest, and I also sweat a lot, and I need to go to the towel. Used to be that the ball kit brought it to you would definitely save some time. I also stayed calm with the umpire, although I really don’t agree with her in many, many things.
00:10:15
But I ask her dare I really get a little bit frustrated also with the two class system that we have. I’m sure if Coco was taking that much time, it wouldn’t be such an issue. You know what I mean? There are players that take a long time and it is up to the umpire that when they press the clock and this is something that is know very differently. And that’s where I feel mistreated by the umpire.
00:10:40
She can make it. She ball is in defense tuck, she presses the clock. Or with other players that are slow in going often to the towel. And I don’t want to say any names now, but names that they want to keep in the tournament, they press the clock when they are finished, like rubbing the grip off and coming back. So this is just something where I’m like yeah, but at the end of the day I got to take the responsibility.
00:11:02
I just got to be faster. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank.