Straits Times Sport·Singapore·Friday, September 11, 2026 at 10:19 AM

Insight, distress, cliche: Why press conferences are a worthy tennis ritual

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Rohit Brijnath

Tennis - U.S. Open - Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - August 28, 2026
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the press conference REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

Whether they’re elated, dismayed, angry or frustrated, tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz show up to explain themselves at press conferences.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Published Sep 11, 2026, 06:19 PM

Updated Sep 11, 2026, 06:19 PM

“I lose the score”.

English isn’t her first language, yet at her US Open press conference the charming, candid Zheng Qinwen articulates perfectly the grammar of tennis. That moment when she’s so deeply encased in a membrane of concentration that she forgets what the score is. Playing point by point till she doesn’t know what point she’s at.

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