WTA Tour veteran driven to tears by US Open crowd after loss to Coco Gauff

An emotional Laura Siegemund felt hard done by after her first round loss to Coco Gauff at the US Open.

Siegemund appeared to be intent on playing the game at her own pace, but she could still not hold off Gauff, who came from a set down to secure a victory that the home crowd cheered on entusiastically.

However the German felt her treatment by the crowd was unfair considering some fans took to making noises during her serve and cheered her double faults.

Gauff came off irritated by having her serve delayed by the German, who took her time getting set to receive.

“I am very, very disappointed with the way the people treated me today,” said Siegemund afterwards.

“I am a fighter, I never did anything against the audience. 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.

“There is no doubt that I am slow. There is no doubt about that. 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.

“Of course I am disappointed to lose the match but I am disappointed how they treated me out there.

“This kind of behaviour, respectless behaviour to a non-American player I have only experienced on this court. To treat the opponent like this, it’s no good for tennis.”

Siegemund said the reception left her saddened and makes her memories of this Slam bittersweet.

“I mean, I would only come back because this is a Slam,” Siegemund added.

“But for sure, not for the people, to give them a show. If they are like this, they don’t deserve a show.

“What do I play tennis for? I play for the people, I play for the effort. I know there are fans that appreciate fighting and not giving up and good sport. I think this is the first time I have cried in a press conference.

“They treated me bad. 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. But you know there are people who are throwing racquets, 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 slow. That’s something in the rules, I get my time violation, that’s fine.

“They just want to push you down, they want the other one to win so bad they want to do anything to push you down. They want to get your in head.

“They didn’t. Is it nice? No, but it’s not affecting my game. But after you think about your experience when you calm down and what happened out there and it just makes me sad.”

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