Daria Saville says Grand Slams are extremely chaotic and suggested that measuring one’s success by Grand Slam results is creating a toxic environment for players. Saville, 28, admits that players feel the extra pressure to do well at Grand Slams since there is a big attention on them – not just within the tennis community – but also from their families and teams.
Thinking that you simply have to do well at a Grand Slam or otherwise you will disappoint does not help players at all, says Saville. On Monday, Saville exited the US Open after losing to Elena Gabriela Ruse in the first round.
Saville played her match on an outside court, something that is extremely difficult for her since she has been diagnosed with ADHD and outside courts are very loud and there is always something happening around them.
Saville on Grand Slam’s
“My thoughts after playing all 4 Slams this year,” Saville wrote in a lengthy Instagram post.
“Why do Slams feel so different to any other tournaments? Grand Slams are chaotic. It’s busy, it is so freaking chaotic in the players areas, and 90% of these people never travel to any other tournament but because it’s a Slam they’ve come to ‘support’ their players.
Friends, family, agents. I don’t know about other players but it makes me feel like I owe them a win. I just want to do my job, I don’t come to your job to “support” you. I like to be focused on the progress, but all that goes out the window during the Slam.
Because every other tournament you ‘prepare’ for the Slam. My thinking becomes so toxic and all I wanna do is win and I feel like everyone around me wants me to win. It’s not true but it feels like no one cares if I get better.
Just win. It’s a good problem to have to have made the final of tournament the week before but that means I got 0 practice on-site. Played the final, travelled the next day, played in completely different conditions and court the next day.
There are rules about warm ups before the matches and so only seeded players and (maybe idk) past champions can hit on-site for their warm ups, people like me have to warm up in the park.. so yea the prep wasn’t it. Outside courts are really hard to play on.
It’s very distracting especially for me with my ADHD. Shit happening everywhere, people walking in and out, calls from other courts that you think are for your match, it’s so loud because you’re exposed to everything.
Not to mention outside courts are generally quicker than stadiums. And we only get to practice at it 4 times a year. Because like I said Grand Slams don’t feel like any other tournament. I really hope one day playing at Slams won’t feel like torture to me and I will enjoy it more.
I’m working on it.”
