‘No respect’ – Laura Siegemund blasts US Open fans for treating her ‘like a cheater’ during Coco Gauff loss

A tearful Laura Siegemund blasted the US Open crowd for showing her “no respect” and treating her “like a cheater” during her first-round defeat to Coco Gauff.

It was a match that lasted nearly three hours, partly due to the amount of time Siegemund, 35, took between points, often letting the serve clock drop to zero and also making Gauff wait to serve.

The delays seemed to infuriate Gauff and also the crowd, who cheered faults from Siegemund and made noises during her serve.

“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 has won the women’s doubles title and mixed doubles title at the US Open.

Asked whether she could consider not returning to the tournament because of the way she had been treated, she said: “I won here two times [in doubles and mixed doubles], every minute of every game I’ve played here, [I leave] 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 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.”

Siegemund struggled to hold back tears as she spoke about her disappointment with the crowd during the press conference.

“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.”

Gauff plays 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the next round.