A man in a sweater-vest speaks up. “Carrie, what do you say in response to players like Ingrid Cortez?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“This morning in her post-match, she said that you should have stayed on the bench.”
This was news to me. I’d seen Ingrid around in the locker rooms—tall and humorless, with white-blond hair and wide shoulders and a lightness in her step that only a teenager can have—but I’d not spoken much to her.
“She says that she had not heard of you, before you came out of retirement,” he adds.
“That’s ridiculous—everyone in tennis has heard of me. Half of the world has heard of me.” I lean away from the microphone, finished speaking. But then I lean back into it. “She can trash-talk however she wants, but let me say this: I’m grateful for every single woman who stood here before me. You don’t see me going around asking who the Original 9 are, do you? No, because I know what I owe them. What about Althea Gibson and Alice Marble and Helen Wills? Suzanne Lenglen? Maria Bueno? I know whose shoulders I’m standing on. If Cortez doesn’t, that’s on her.”
“But,” he follows up, “is there any truth to her statement? Some people are saying this comeback is a stunt. What’s your response?”
I can hear the shuffling of papers and the readjusting of microphones. But all eyes remain on me.
“I’ve proven so far that my game is outstanding,” I say. “So everyone can whine and moan all they want about me being here, but I’ve earned the right.”
Everyone’s hands go up. There is a woman, young and focused, standing on the edge of the press corps.
“How are you feeling about the challenge ahead?” she says. “Your return may be controversial, but there are many spectators out there thrilled to see you playing again. It is expected you’ll be playing Carla Perez in the next round. She seems to be the first player who could match your power. So…how bullish should your fans feel about seeing this run continue? How confident do you feel?”
I smile wide, and it grows into a laugh. “I’m gonna crush Carla Perez and anyone else I play on my way to the final. I am going to hold their beating hearts in my hand.”
For a fraction of a second, none of the reporters in the room know quite what to say.
God, I’ve missed this.
Transcript
SportsHour USA
The Mark Hadley Show
Mark Hadley: …and Bowe Huntley appears to be doing better than anticipated. He annihilated Greg Simmons in the first round and even held up against Wash Lomal.
Briggs Lakin: Which is no easy feat, given that coach Peter Gardner left Huntley to work with Lomal. But Huntley came out the victor.
Hadley: Turning to the women’s matches, Nicki Chan is sailing through, no surprise. Though we are seeing some pressure on that ankle.
Gloria Jones: She’s an intense player. Intense players are prone to injury, we know that. But Nicki seems to have a handle on it.
Hadley: Natasha Antonovich meeting no resistance yet either. Let’s talk about Carrie Soto. Some surprises there. Gloria, thoughts? You played her back in the day, did you not?
Jones: I did, Mark. And look, what can be said about Carrie during this tournament except that she’s blowing us all away?
Hadley: She’s a former world champion. Should we be impressed that she’s in the third round? Dvo?áková, Flores—these are not hugely formidable opponents she’s faced.
Jones: Well, when you consider how many people had written Soto off before she even set foot back on the court, I do think it’s impressive, yes.
Lakin: But, Gloria, I’m curious, because I consider you an incredibly gracious player—you were always respectful and polite on the court—so I’d love your take on Soto’s attitude right now.
Jones: You mean the “Who’s next?” thing?
Lakin: Well, yeah, screaming out “Who’s next?” after your first round seems a bit brazen, no?
Jones: Well…
Lakin: And then in her match against Josie Flores, she gloated when she won.
Jones: She danced on the court.
Lakin: That’s not gloating?
Jones: I don’t know. But—
Lakin: If she has to come back, fine, I say. You know, I was one of the people saying from the beginning that it’s her right to do it.
Jones: Yes, you did say that. I remember that.
Lakin: But is it not another thing entirely to come back and then act like an animal? “I am going to hold their beating hearts in my hand”？ Where is the grace? The poise? This is a sport of ladies and gentlemen.