Laura Siegemund won the doubles at the WTA finals, but there was no celebrating, she had to go to the Billie Jean King Cup in Spain. About a tennis player between joy and travel stress.
At least the pictures will remain. How Laura Siegemund stood there with a sombrero on her head and the WTA trophy in her hand, her doubles partner Wera Swonarewa next to her. How they both kissed the trophy. How they were lying on the court at some point, the trophy between them, a lettering in front of them with just one word on it: Cancun.
Siegemund, 35, wrote a piece of German tennis history on Monday evening (November 6th, 2023). Together with Swonarewa, she won the doubles title at the WTA Finals in Cancùn, Mexico. A doubles tournament has been held as part of the season finale for 50 years, and no German player has ever won.
14 flight hours, 8,000 kilometers as the crow flies, six hours time shift
Later, when Siegemund was asked about her feelings, she spoke of one “difficult week”, she recalled the final, which had to be postponed by a day because of the weather. She also said: “I never thought we would come home with the trophy.”
But Siegemund didn’t travel quietly to Stuttgart, where she lives when she’s not traveling to play tennis. She didn’t travel to Germany at all, but to Spain. A few hours after her final success, she got on a plane, she was on the road for almost 14 hours, there are 8,000 kilometers as the crow flies and six hours between Cancún and Seville. In Spain, Siegemund will compete with Germany in the Billie Jean King Cup.
“Sad game” and “date disaster” – criticism of the WTA
But that’s how it is sometimes in women’s tennis. The WTA finals are the highlight of the season, but a venue was not decided on until September. The choice fell on Cancún, a city on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, which is sometimes a target for hurricanes. Hurricane season begins in June and ends at the end of November. It might not have been the best idea Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to have the season finale take place there of all places.
The national coach Barbara Rittner also mentioned this in an interview with the Sports Information Service (SID). “a tragedy”, one from which the players in particular would suffer. Players like Siegemund’s Australian final opponent Ellen Perez. She had one on platform X, formerly Twitter “Date disaster” wrote and asked if anyone would provide her with a private jet. Of course no one did.
Perez was supposed to be in action for Australia on Tuesday, the first day of the Billie Jean King Cup. She didn’t play.
Germany is relying on Siegemund in the Billie Jean King Cup
Siegemund may also have noticed the stress of traveling. She will compete with the DTB selection at the Billie Jean King Cup on Thursday and Friday (10 a.m. each day). Germany will play against Italy and France for a place in the semi-finals. It certainly won’t be easy for Siegemund, team captain Rainer Schüttler told the German Press Agency. “You have to see how she arrives, how she copes with everything.”
The time change, the long journey – jet lag is almost inevitable. And then in Seville the games are played indoors and not outside like in Mexico. And yet Siegemund will be a bearer of hope, and not just in doubles.
The German team is missing an outstanding individual player, including Siegemund (86th in the world singles rankings). This also applies to her teammates Tatjana Maria (57th), Anna-Lena Friedsam (115th), Eva Lys (130th) and Jule Niemeier (162nd). This is another reason why Germany’s tennis players will only be outsiders.
National coach Rittner about Siegemund: “Of course we need them”
National coach Rittner recently told a story that says a lot about Siegemund’s role. “We had daily flights for them here”, Rittner told the SID, that was before the final on Monday evening. This will not have been entirely favorable for the German Tennis Federation (DTB), as they had to cancel some flights there.
But there was no alternative, Siegemund is too important for the team. “Of course we need them” said Rittner. “Not just in doubles, but also in singles.”