Laura Siegemund has hit out at the reception she received during her first round match against Coco Gauf at the US Open before suggesting that she wouldn’t play at the event again if it wasn’t a Grand Slam.
Siegemund, who came through three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw, pushed sixth seed Gauff to her limits before losing 6-3, 2-6, 4-6, in what was a roller-coaster encounter. The match took place in the evening at the tournament’s premier Arthur Ashe Stadium which was packed with fans. However, during the match, the German underdog was jeered at for what some perceived to be her slow play between points.
According to a New York Post reporter, the crowd was heard saying ‘time’ at Siegemund when she was serving which prompted her to complain to the umpire, Marijana Veljovic. The 35-year-old is a two-time US Open doubles champion who won the mixed doubles in 2016 and then the women’s doubles in 2020.
“I won here two times, every minute of every game I’ve played here, [I leave] everything out on the court and this is how they treat me?” A bemused Siegemund said during her press conference.
“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 this is a Slam. But for sure, not for the people, to give them a show. If they are like this, they don’t deserve a show.”
Continuing to hit out at the crowd, she accused fans of showing no respect towards the sport. The New York crowd is known for being highly animated during matches at the tournaments which has been the case for many years. Novak Djokovic, who took to the court after Siegemund, described playing a night session on Arthur Ashe as the ‘most exciting, fun, loud, energetic sessions you can have in the tennis world.’
“I never did anything against the audience,” Siegemund continued. “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 have no respect for the player that I am. They have no respect for tennis, for good tennis. This is something that I have to say hurts really bad.”
Gauff criticized her opponent’s time management during their match and complained to the umpire in the final set. The world No.6 said to Veljovic that Siegemund ‘went over the clock about four times‘ and later questioned why no action was taken against her. Brad Gilbert, who is part of Gauff’s team, was heard during the match urging his player to raise the time-keeping issue with officials.
“I felt like the rules were being bent,” Gauff later told reporters. “That’s why a lot of players get mad when these time violations are called because one ref is letting them go over, the other is more strict on the time.
“I think tennis needs to be more strict on the rules for everybody regardless of every situation.”
Siegemund has admitted that she does take her time between points but argues that it doesn’t justify the treatment she received from the crowd.
“There is no doubt that I am slow. There is no doubt about that,” she said. “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. Clapping when you miss the first serve, those kinds of things, I have no understanding for it.
“I was very disappointed.”I thought I went out there, I have a great time on Ashe, I have to say I did not have a good time. That was just [because] of the audience.”
Gauff will play Russia’s Mirra Andreeva in the second round.
