“The presentation ceremony was very uncomfortable”: When Steffi Graf admitted her unease about Wimbledon triumph due to Jana Novotna crying after loss
"The presentation ceremony was very uncomfortable": When Steffi Graf admitted her unease about Wimbledon triumph due to Jana Novotna crying after loss
“The presentation ceremony was very uncomfortable”: When Steffi Graf admitted her unease about Wimbledon triumph due to Jana Novotna crying after loss
Steffi Graf once shed light on her discomfort during the presentation ceremony at the 1993 Wimbledon Championships, despite her victory. The German’s unease stemmed from runner-up Jana Novotna’s palpable grief at losing the final.Novotna seemed destined for victory as she took a 4-1 lead in the third set. However, the German held her nerve and won five games in a row to claim a 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-4 victory, clinching her fifth Wimbledon title.Jana Novotna, visibly devastated over losing from a winning position, broke down in tears during the trophy presentation and was consoled by the Duchess of Kent.Reflecting on the final in a 2009 interview with the Daily Mail, Steffi Graf admitted that she felt “very uncomfortable” during the presentation ceremony because she found it difficult to witness Novotna’s tears.
The German also revealed that she was not particularly happy despite her victory because she could empathize with the Czech, having experienced similar losses after being in a position to win.
