"Gawain, you should be able to handle reporters, right?"
"Although this is a big event and the number of reporters may increase several times, in the end it's still the same. Just be yourself."
"This is not a live broadcast, but there are cameras recording the whole process. I don't want to scare you, just a reminder."
"Very good, very good, very good. I like your calmness."
"Huh, I think everything can go smoothly today. Yes, there will be absolutely no problem."
From the beginning to the end, Tobias was talking to himself. Sampras looked at Gawain who had a calm face, and couldn't help but reveal a smile in his eyes.
You can't blame Tobias. Even Sampras is a little worried. It is precisely because he has experienced countless Grand Slams that he knows more clearly how terrible press conferences can be and how ferocious reporters can be, even more so.
The players broke down after finishing the press conference.
This is even more true in the Grand Slam arena.
But unfortunately, the news media is an indispensable part. The Grand Slam and Masters have strict regulations. The competition has a pre-match press conference and a post-match press conference. All of these are mandatory parts. If you refuse to attend,
, the first warning and fine, the second time the fine amount is increased, and the third time a ban may be imposed.
Regarding this matter, the ATP, WTA, ITF and the organizers of the four Grand Slam tournaments have reached a unanimous front. They are not kidding.
This was the first time that Gowan attended a press conference, and it turned out to be a Grand Slam level, but his opponent was the local darling Isner. Sampras was a little worried.
Why this pregame press conference is so special obviously needs a little background.
Just like any event, players from the host country can always get some preferential treatment. This is the same all over the world, and the US Open is no exception.
The U.S. Open is the youngest and most energetic of the four Grand Slam tournaments. It has night matches, live DJs play music during breaks between games, all of which are lively and lively that cannot be seen in the other three Grand Slams.
The scene was such that even the long-game tie-breaker format was the first one they abolished.
Here, there are three main stadiums and seventeen small courts, which can hold 20 games at the same time. The three main stadiums are Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, and Grandstand Stadium.
, No. 2 and No. 3 stadiums, the spectator capacity decreases in sequence.
Arthur Ashe Stadium is Court No. 1 and is also the center court, which can accommodate 23,000 people. All five finals of singles, doubles and mixed doubles are held here.
Everyone wants to enter Arthur Ashe Stadium to play, and official international signals are often aimed at this stadium, but obviously, not everyone can do so; moreover, night clubs are also a special treatment unique to Arthur Ashe.
, because the ratings are extremely high, often only the most popular players can enjoy the treatment.
For example, the Big Four, such as Serena Williams or Sharapova.
However, if Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer all compete on the same day, who will enter the Arthur Ashe Stadium? Who will enter the night game to take on the important task of ratings throughout the day? This is very particular, and often
Federer, who has a "global home court", has become the favorite of tournament organizers, followed by Nadal, the "King of Clay".
The 2018 Wimbledon Championships encountered such a problem.
In the first week of the tournament, Federer and Nadal took turns to sit on the center court, while Djokovic had only one round of games arranged on the center court. The other three rounds were played twice on Court 1 and once even on Court 2.
This also made Djokovic furious, and launched a righteous protest to the tournament organizers through his agent, fighting for his rights to enter the center court.
In the end, after careful consideration, the tournament organizers moved Federer to Court 1 on the day of the quarterfinals, while Djokovic and Nadal continued to sit on the center court.
This incident also caused a lot of turmoil and controversy.
Obviously, the same is true for the US Open.
The arrangement of each day's events is very particular, especially since the first round matches of the other three Grand Slams, except Wimbledon, are played over three days, so the arrangement of events on the center court is worthy of careful consideration.
Already.
This year, the opening match at Arthur Ashe Stadium was led by Simona Halep, the second seed in women’s singles, followed by Venus Williams and Wawrinka; the night match was led by Sharapova
The fight started, then Djokovic finished it.
Murray, who also made his debut on the first day, was gathered at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The next day, Ivanovic opened the game at Arthur Ashe Stadium, followed by Isner, then Kvitova; the night game featured Federer and Serena Williams.
The key is right here——
Isner.
In fact, "Isner VS Gauvin" is not the focus of the first round, but! Because Isner is a local darling and currently the highest-ranked player in the United States, it naturally gathers countless focuses and relies on the advantage of playing at home.
, successfully entered Arthur Ashe Stadium on the second match day.
Therefore, Gawain also got the opportunity to land on the center court.
Some players will never be able to stand on the center court of the four Grand Slams in their entire lives, but Gao Wen entered the center court for the first time in his career at the Grand Slam. So, is this draw a good thing or a bad thing?
Woolen cloth?
What is so special about center court?
Big, first of all, big, with 23,000 seats, this is one of the largest tennis venues in the world. This not only means that there will definitely be a large number of spectators at the scene, but also means that the international signal can attract the attention of global audiences.
Pressure is definitely not something ordinary players can mature into.
Secondly, it is still big, but what we are talking about here is the impact on the physical level. The entire space, light, and wind direction are all different. If you are used to playing in small courts, you may be confused when you suddenly enter a large court. The three-dimensional feeling of hitting the ball can easily change.
If it is disrupted, the feel will be lost.
Just like the spotlight, you may be able to perform well outside the spotlight, but when you enter the spotlight, it is like being put under a microscope, and then your performance will fall flat.
Arthur Ashe Stadium may be a motivation, but it may also be a destructive pressure.
First Isner, and then Arthur Ashe Stadium. For Gawain who jumped out of the cracks in the rocks, it was basically pie in the sky. Naturally, the pre-match press conference and the attacks of reporters
The force may also increase exponentially.
In fact, the center court is a good thing, at least for publicity and exposure. Tobias should like it. Dimitrov doesn't even have such an opportunity; but Tobias can't be happy, but worried.
Worried.
Everything was coming in such a turbulent way, and the press conference naturally became more and more intense.
Not to mention Tobias, Sampras was also slightly worried——
Because it came too quickly and too fiercely, Gawain missed the training opportunity of the Golden Game. As a result, he rose to many levels in one go. Is there really no problem?