It came as a big surprise to those who were tuned in. Huh? What’s happening? Suddenly, after CoCo Vandeweghe had claimed the first set of her first-round 6-4, 6-3 victory over Sloane Stephens, she was sitting in her chair with a microphone in her face.
Vandeweghe's mid-match interview - ESPN Video
She could barely catch her breath long enough to answer ESPN commentator Pam Shriver’s questions, but there it was: the first mid-match on-court interview in Grand Slam history. And then, as soon it was over, the Twitter reaction came on like a tidal wave. What just happened? Was it good for the game? Was it another gimmick that would never catch on? Was it fair to ask a player in the heat of battle to devote even a modicum of her precious mental energy to the press DURING A MATCH?
Early indications are that views are heated, and opposing.
Here’s what Vandeweghe had to say after her match:
“Before it happened I was thinking maybe I might lose focus doing it,” she said. “But then at the same time we have on-court coaching for WTA events. You could also lose focus in that way because you're speaking to someone. I think it's a positive. I think any innovation, it is a positive. So I see no harm in it.”
Other players were also asked about it today in New York. Eugenie Bouchard was asked how amenable she would be to being interviewed during a match. “I'd have to think about that,” she said, then added. “I think it's kind of cool in a way. If it gives fans more access, if it makes the match more interesting, why not? If the players are used to it, I don't see anything wrong with it.”
On Twitter the debate had stirred up some negative reviews, but also some positive ones. Here’s a smattering of what we found. Either way, it should be interesting to see if the trend continues, either in Vandeweghe’s next match, vs. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (who would also be a good interview), or with other players.