Former British No1 Greg Rusedski expressed disappointment at Serena Williams' decision to skip her post-match media duties following her first-round defeat at Wimbledon.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, was granted a wildcard invitation to play in the singles draw after a year-long hiatus, but her run was cut short with a 6-3 7-6 6-3 loss to Australia's Maya Joint.
The 44-year-old was greeted with a standing ovation as she exited Centre Court, but surprised many by opting to skip her media commitments. While her agent cited a knee injury and lengthy physio treatment as the reasons for her absence, Rusedski felt that Williams should have still made an appearance.
'In my days, I don't think we had that luxury unless we were wheeled off in a wheelchair or we had some terrible incident happen to us,' Rusedski said on the Off Court podcast. 'But I think you'd have to do the press conference. There is no question that she deserved a wildcard, you're not going to say to one of the biggest legends of the game who wants to play singles [no].'
Rusedski argued that skipping the press conference was a missed opportunity for Williams to show her character and provide insight into her situation. 'You can put social media posts out there all you want. And most of these players are hiring somebody for thousands of pounds a month to make their image look good and to put their soundbites in. But we want to see raw emotion and we want to see truth come out of these people. And for me, I'm a little bit disappointed.'
Wimbledon tournament director Jamie Baker expressed understanding for Williams' injury and offered flexibility to accommodate her recovery schedule. 'We are giving her as much time,' Baker said. 'Obviously we want her to play, if she possibly can. In terms of the days, it is a guideline. That is what we're hoping to do to try and get the tournament finished.'
Williams still hopes to compete in the women's doubles with her sister, Venus, in the coming days. Due to security concerns, they will be scheduled to play on a main show court. 'Serena and Venus, they are massive global stars so there is a lot of people that want to watch them,' Baker added. 'That [security] is a major consideration with scheduling.'
