Defending champion Garbine Muguruza has blasted the French Open crowd for being disrespectful after she suffered a heart-wrenching loss against Kristina Mladenovic in the last 16 on Sunday.
The 23-year-old was booed and barracked by the Suzanne Lenglen crowd following her 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 defeat.
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“I think the audience was really tough today. I can’t really understand. I don’t know how to explain,” Sport24 quoted Muguruza as saying.
The defending champion was emotional throughout her post-match press conference. At one stage she started to cry and had to briefly leave the room.
“If you had been in my shoes on the court, I think you would have understood. I don’t know what people were expecting. I’d rather not say anything more,” she added.
Muguruza said she felt the crowd lacked respect at times.
“I just think that they were a little bit, sometimes should be a little bit more respectful. The chair umpire has to always calm the crowd down.”
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The Spaniard’s defeat means Justine Henin, who won the title in 2003 and then from 2005 to 2007, remains the last woman to successfully defend her crown at Roland Garros.