Anett Kontaveit endured an extremely challenging match at the 2022 US Open, having to face Serena Williams and also the New York crowd.
Facing Serena Williams in a match is tremendously hard because she’s the best female tennis player of all time. Due to the number of Grand Slams won, this could be debatable for some, but for the vast majority of people in the know-how, Williams does stand at the top alone.
Adding that the match was played in New York on American soil, it's clear why it was tremendously challenging. Facing a native player is always tough, let alone Serena Williams, backed by arguably one of the loudest crowd in the world of tennis.
Then there is also the detail that this is the final event of Williams's tennis career, making the matchup that much more important. This might have been the best crowd support she ever had, and it was tough for Kontaveit to deal with it.
Speaking with the media after the match, Kontaveit admitted that it was very tough to deal with. Not only did she have to play Serena, but the crowd was hostile, which she understood, but it was still tough for her.
"It was hard. It was something I never experienced before. I don’t think it’s a personal attack against me or anything. I mean, it’s fair."
"It’s not a shame to lose to Serena. It was so difficult to cope with the crowd and everything. I think this was the hardest in this game."
After finishing the English part of the press conference, Kontaveit answered one question in Estonian before getting up and leaving in tears.
Clearly, it was a profound experience for the player who is known as one of the better ones in the world. This wasn’t something new for her or unexpected, but it still clearly shook her to the core.
The USTA also came under fire for inviting Kontaveit onto the court to observe the tribute for Serena, which some media outlets criticized as disrespectful.
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