On the court, Laura Siegemund puts up a brave fight. But the US Open audience booed anyway – and made the German cry.
It was not the most pleasant night for German tennis ace Laura Siegemund. At the US Open, the 35-year-old had to concede defeat to local hero Coco Gauff in the first round after a brave battle with 6:3, 2:6, 4:6.
But the sporting result was not the only reason why Siegemund cried bitter tears at the press conference afterwards. “It’s the first time I’ve cried in a press conference,” she said after her narrow first-round exit. “I’m very disappointed with the way people treated me. I am a fighter. I never did anything against the crowd. They had no respect for me,” complained the tennis player from Metzingen.
And Siegemund was even more explicit: “This unfair, disrespectful behaviour against a non-American, I’ve only experienced that on this court.” But what had happened?
Dispute over breaks between rallies
The spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York had booed Siegemund several times during the match in front of former US President Barack Obama and clapped after failed first serves. The background was an argument between Siegemund and Gauff about the time the German allowed herself between rallies.
“She is never ready when I serve – how can that be fair?” complained crowd favourite Gauff to the umpire. “There is no doubt that I am slow. But that’s how I play. I do it for me, I don’t do it against the other guy,” Siegemund countered after the match.
On the other hand, Siegemund complained that the pace between Gauff’s serves was too fast. Siegemund complained to the umpire about the US player’s “unreasonably fast” game. But the umpire agreed with Gauff and even gave Siegemund two time penalties, whereupon she did not shake her hand after the match as usual. The audience acknowledged the discussion with further boos.
And so Siegemund’s strong performance against the world number six was pushed into the background. At Flushing Meadows, Siegemund, ranked 121st in the world, has now been waiting since 2019 to reach the second round.
In doubles, where she triumphed in the “Big Apple” in 2020, and mixed doubles, Siegemund will face the New York crowd again in the coming days, but she also wants to try again in singles in the coming years. “I will only come back because it’s a Grand Slam,” Siegemund stressed, however: “Certainly not because of the people and to give them a show. “
