Williams on press scrutiny after Osaka withdrawal: "Every single person asking me a question can’t play as well as I can and never will"
WTAWednesday, 02 June 2021 at 19:50
The story of the opening week of Roland Garros has been mainly the drama surrounding Naomi Osaka and her withdrawal from the French Open.
This came after deciding to boycott French Open press and being fined before deciding not to play on in Paris.
Venus Williams, seven time Grand Slam champion, was asked about the situation post match after defeat to Ekaterina Alexandrova and gave a cutting response about the media.
One journalist asked how she has coped with press questioning and she said the following:
“For me personally, how I cope, how I deal with it, was that I know every single person asking me a question can’t play as well as I can and never will,” Williams said. “So no matter what you say, or what you write, you’ll never light a candle to me.
“That’s how I deal with it. But each person deals with it differently.”
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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