Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula shared their thoughts on receiving apologies from Madrid Open organizers after a controversial incident.
In a surprising turn of events, the 2023 Madrid Open saw an unprecedented incident where WTA doubles finalists, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, and their opponents Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia were not allowed to speak after the match.
The controversial decision made by the organizers left the tennis world in a state of bewilderment and frustration. As one of the first players to take to Twitter, Gauff shared what she wanted to say, followed by other players expressing their discontent.
Recently, during the lead-up to the Italian Open, where both Gauff and Pegula are set to compete, they were asked about the incident and their thoughts on the matter. Gauff, who was not aware of the situation initially due to her absence on Twitter, expressed her disappointment in the organizers' decision.
"I don't know what was going to be said in the speech. At least my speech, I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't know about the whole situation before because I'm not on Twitter."
"You can kind of see us talking on the podium. That's when I found out. I think for the most part, yeah, I don't think it was a great decision. I expressed that afterwards. They apologized."
Pegula, when asked if she was given a reason for the muting, stated that she had not received an explanation but had been sent an apology letter. Jokingly she added that it made everything okay.
"No, but they sent me an apology letter. The letter made everything okay (smiling)."
The muting incident at the Madrid Open has undoubtedly cast a shadow over the tournament, raising questions about the role and responsibilities of the organizers in handling such events. The prompt apologies from the organizers to Gauff and Pegula are a step towards addressing the issue; however, the tennis community is eager to understand the rationale behind the initial decision.
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