"I don’t know what century everyone was living in when they made that decision": Pegula hits out after Madrid Open speech snub
WTA
The hot topic of conversation of course heading into the Rome Open stemmed from the Madrid Open fiascos involving cake gate and speech gate.
Where for the latter, Coco Gauff/Jessica Pegula and Victoria Azarenka/Beatriz Haddad Maia weren't allowed to speak post women's doubles final.
Pegula was quizzed about this ahead of Rome and said that her and Azarenka being part of the Players' Council had an inkling that something would happen but that it was certainly unprecedented and backfired more than being a good decision by the organizers.
“What happened in Madrid, it was really disappointing,” Pegula told journalists in Rome as per TennisMajors.
“I know a lot of like what happened, detail leading up to the event, just because Vika and I are on players’ council. I had a feeling something was going to happen.
“Did I think we were not going to be able to speak, no. I’ve never heard of that, like, in my life. Even in a 10K Challenger final you would speak.
"I don’t know what century everyone was living in when they made that decision or how they actually had a conversation and decided, like, ‘Wow, this is a great decision we’re going to do and there’s going to be no backlash against this.'”
She added: “To be honest, it kind of spoke for itself. We were upset when it happened, especially being told during the trophy ceremony we weren’t going to be allowed to speak.
"We were kind of like, Well, I guess this just kind of proves a point. We didn’t really do anything, and here we are. It kind of speaks for itself.
“At the same time there was also that aspect where we were kind of like, Well, we don’t have to say anything else. Everyone kind of picked up on it and was very disappointed.
“I mean, yeah, we’ll see what happens. I don’t really know what’s going to happen after that or what decision is going to be made, statements or anything regarding that. It was just very disappointing. I think everyone kind of felt that way.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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