The waves of hysteria Naomi Osaka described earlier than heading right into a post-match press convention may be acquainted to French Open finalist Sofia Kenin, whose gut-wrenching exit from the Australian Open was laid naked in entrance of cameras in February.
American Kenin, a 12 months youthful than Osaka, had seemingly the world at her ft when she arrived in Melbourne to defend her title solely months after reaching her second Grand Slam remaining at Roland Garros.
Behind the scenes, nevertheless, the 2020 WTA Player of the Year was on shaky floor.
Weeks after splitting together with her administration, Kenin was holed up in a resort room for 2 weeks as gamers fulfilled Australia’s strict COVID-19 quarantine protocols within the leadup to the Grand Slam.
Once again on the court docket, the cracks appeared when she cried on the Yarra Classic match after a 6-2 6-2 loss to Garbine Muguruza, a rematch of their Australian Open remaining the 12 months earlier than.
She kicked off her Australian Open defence with a laboured first spherical win over native wildcard Maddison Inglis, crying earlier than, throughout and after the match.
She lastly crumbled within the subsequent match towards Kaia Kanepi as a result of the “nerves big-time bought to (her).”
If anyone deserved a leave pass from the compulsory post-match press conference, the anguished Kenin would surely have had a case.
Yet about an hour after the loss, she filed stoically into Melbourne Park’s window-less media conference room to take questions from reporters on site and others logged in by video conference from around the world.
“I really feel like everybody was at all times asking me: ‘Would you want to? Do you see yourself getting (to Melbourne) and winning again?'” she said.
“Obviously I said yes. With the way I’m taking part in, no.”
She then broke down in tears.
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
Osaka’s press boycott, followed by her withdrawal from the French Open on Monday, has put the media under the microscope and triggered criticism of the Grand Slams that threaten fines of up to $20,000 if players skip compulsory press conferences.
Players can opt out without fear of sanction if injured or “physically unable to appear” however there isn’t any provision for psychological pressure, a gray space made murkier with the emotional toll of a disappointing loss.
Players rallied round Osaka with supportive messages after she revealed her psychological well being battles on Monday but none went as far as to publicly again her press boycott or berate the Grand Slams for being sticklers for the foundations.
“It’s positively not straightforward. I imply, that is what you signed up for. This is sport. There’s expectations from the skin, sponsors, and everybody,” Kenin said on Monday.
“You just have to somehow manage it. You have to have a good team around you who support you. You know they’re with you. Anything you say is to them, and that’s it. They’ll always support you and have your back.”
Some gamers, maybe surprisingly given the agony of going through reporters after a poor efficiency, have defended the method as “a part of the job” and credited the media for raising the profile of the game.
“The Grand Slams are protecting themselves and their own business. Of course they are going to follow the rules and they are going to make sure that you are complying,” stated world primary Novak Djokovic.
While extra for the good thing about the tennis-watching public than the primary actors on court docket, some gamers admit to having fun with the verbal rallies with the media.
Roger Federer has stated his coaches watch his press conferences to realize perception into his mindset.
Others, like Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios, cannot stand them and dismiss questions with contempt.
Venus Williams, a veteran of greater than 20 years of post-match media, is galvanised by her document of 49 titles, together with seven Grand Slam singles crowns.
“For me personally how I cope with it was that I do know each single individual asking me a query can’t play in addition to I can and by no means will,” the 40-year-old said after her first-round exit from Roland Garros.
“So no matter what you say or what you write, you’ll never light a candle to me.”
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