- Organisers refused to allow players to address crowd after final
- ‘I don’t know what century everyone [officials] was living in’
The consequences of the Madrid Open’s decision to deny both women’s doubles finalists a speech during the trophy ceremony on Sunday rumbled on into Rome on Tuesday as Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula expressed frustration about tournament organisers silencing players.
Gauff and Pegula were defeated in the final by Victoria Azarenka and Beatriz Haddad Maia. Pegula said she felt tension behind the scenes throughout a dramatic two weeks in Madrid and “had a feeling something would happen”. She did not anticipate the organisers refusing to allow the players to address the crowd.