"It's something I don't wish on anyone": Bouzkova opens up on dealing with hate after Roland Garros default incident
WTA
Marie Bouzkova has opened up on the hate she has received amid the incident that took place at Roland Garros where her and Sara Sorribes Tormo advanced in a default after Miyu Kato and Aldila Sutjiadi hit a ball girl.
Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo were seen as telling the umpire to default the duo which saw them gain villain status.
It has seen the Czech ace who herself has been in good form as of late in singles go from being well-liked to a villain.
"I would say there are still emotional days even now where you’ll share something and so many people will post hate about that incident. It’s still pretty hard for me because I’ve never been in such a situation where I feel like I’m the bad person," said Bouzkova.
"It’s something I don’t wish on anyone. It’s hard for us athletes. We are exposed on social media and it’s so easy to misinterpret when something goes viral, and that’s something we don’t have much influence on. Since that moment, I’ve been a little more distant from social media because that’s just a war you can’t win. On social media, there’s always going to be a person getting bullied."
She revealed that the default was in reality the only possible outcome and that Kato rightfully suffered consequences for it.
"We went to the referee after the match and he told us that the match couldn’t have ended any other way, which is hard for a lot of people to accept, and he told us that if anyone has any questions, they can talk to him. But what tennis fan can go directly to the referee of Roland Garros? He’s not on Instagram.
"Ultimately, what she did was clear and went against the rules. I would never have wished for them to get defaulted, but it’s what happened. That’s life."
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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