Serena Williams doesn’t seem to have got over the lost US Open final and the escapade show associated with it yet. The journalist Lisa Wilkinson now felt this in an interview.
Before each interview, arrangements must be made, especially in spheres in which Serena Williams moves. In principle, the questions have already been clarified beforehand, taboo topics are stuck and there really isn’t much element of surprise.
So did the journalist Lisa Wilkinson, who prepared herself for an interview with the most successful tennis player of all time. For the Australian TV show The Project, Williams appeared in front of the cameras again after her US Open disaster.
In New York, the American had gone crazy in the final against Naomi Osaka after receiving three cautions from chair referee Carlos Ramos. All of them rule-compliant. The 23-time Grand Slam winner spoke of sexism and robbery and caused a real scandal. The fact that Williams lost the finale to Osaka in a smooth and sporting manner almost went into the background.
The Williams discussion had reached its climax in recent weeks with a Serena cartoon by the cartoonist Marc Knight. This topic should not be addressed in the interview under any circumstances, according to Williams management.
Wilkinson, however, did not miss out on the US Open and asked Williams if she regretted her racket throw from the final. Management promptly intervened, interrupted the interview and said: “These are now four questions about the US Open. If we could please change the subject.”
The interview was continued, the topic US Open was no longer mentioned. Meanwhile, topics such as Williams’ connection to Meghan Markle were addressed – and how the ex-numbers enjoy their motherhood.
After the interview, Wilkinson, who received the announcement that Williams would immediately get up when the cartoon was spoken to and end the interview, declared: “That would have been great tabloid TV, but I was actually more interested in her answers to the US open questions.