It was smooth and seamless, like mercury pouring down on the ground, just like Federer's offensive connection at Wimbledon. Before he could react, he was already swept into the gorgeous and splendid joy and freedom.
It wasn't until Gao Wen started answering the next question that the reporters gradually came back to their senses:
Wait, something is not right! Shouldn't the core of the problem be the competition between Lu Qian and Zverev? How did they get away with it? Originally, the reporter wanted to say that from Kyrgios to the current Zverev and Coric, plus the leader Gao Wen, the younger generation born after 1995 also seized the opportunity to emerge in Wimbledon. This is obviously another interpretation of "Big Four vs. Challengers".
But now: ???
Looking at Gao Wen who was chatting and laughing in front of him, the German reporter fell into deep thought.
However, for Gao Wen, he really has no interest in continuing to be a target. Young players born after 1995 are trying to target Gao Wen one by one, but Gao Wen has his own games to focus on. Unless the next round opponent is them, Gao Wen is not prepared to pay attention to him.
However, one obvious fact is that not only the new generation, but the entire professional tennis world is paying attention to Gao Wen's every move, including the WTA.
"Gawain, Serena said that if she is ready to compete in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon, she hopes to partner with you. What do you think about this?"
The background of the story is that in 1967, Billie Jean King, a legendary WTA player, achieved the feat of simultaneously topping singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Wimbledon, and no one has been able to replicate this feat to this day.
In Serena Williams' career, she has achieved too many feats, including winning both the singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon, but mixed doubles is still a blank and she has not yet won the title.
At this year's Wimbledon, thousands of eyes were on Serena Williams, hoping that she could complete the "Serena Grand Slam" for the second time in her career; at the same time, other records also emerged -
Including mixed doubles.
Different from the clamor of the ATP, Serena Williams has shown absolute dominance since her upset exit in the third round of Wimbledon last year, ending the WTA melee and strongly declaring that she is still a strong candidate for the best in history.
If Serena Williams chooses to compete in mixed doubles, she can choose any player, including the Big Four. She has already partnered with all four of them in different exhibition matches.
In fact, in 2019, Serena Williams did partner with Murray in the Wimbledon mixed doubles competition. Although both of them were plagued by injuries at the time and finally stopped in the third round, it still created a sensation.
However, after withstanding a small test and winning the first round of Wimbledon this year, Serena Williams mentioned Gawain's name in the post-match interview:
How could the reporters miss it!
"...Gawain and I haven't known each other for long, but we've run into each other quite a lot in the past year. I mean, quite a lot."
"I saw him in Flushing Meadows, I saw him in Melbourne, and of course, he was definitely in the conversation at Roland Garros last month. I like his game, he's very tactical, very aggressive, and Nike requires me to name his name when I ask this question, so..."
At the post-match press conference, Serena Williams was obviously in a good mood and joked with reporters, which eventually won laughter from the reporters on the scene.
Now, the problem comes to Gao Wen.
"oh!"
A little unexpected.
"My thoughts? Hey, Serena, if Nike threatens you to answer like that, just blink your right eye three times."
As he spoke, Gao Wen raised three fingers and spoke to the camera with a serious look on his face.
The reporters in the press conference hall burst into laughter collectively, especially when combined with Serena Williams' answer, the comedy was even more humorous and actually formed a clever response. The thunderous laughter mixed with applause could not be stopped at all, and some people even whistled to cheer, it was very lively.
So much so that passers-by at the door also stopped, looked around, and then when they saw Gawain's figure, they all showed a look of understanding.
Instead, Gao Wen was stunned. "I know this is a joke, but is it really that funny?"
That innocent and confused expression made the applause even crazier.
Gao Wen also laughed, but he didn't pursue the matter any further and returned to the topic.
"Of course, whether it's a threat from Nike or not, it's an honor for me. Maybe I can learn some serve tips from Serena."
"I mean, I like my serve, but I'm not Pete Sampras, right?"
Haha, hahahaha——
The press conference came to an end amid bustling laughter.
The English interview lasted for 30 minutes, and the Chinese interview lasted another 30 minutes. This is a common practice in Grand Slams. Players often answer different questions in different languages, and questions answered in their native language can often get more information.
But what’s interesting is that during the Chinese interview, many reporters from other countries stayed at the scene, brought their own mobile phone translators, and sat there to listen to Gao Wen’s answers.
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Is this treatment considered a small upgrade?
It seems that every move of Gao Wen at Wimbledon this year will inevitably attract more attention, especially after the five-set battle in the first round. Gao Wen's performance is full of more uncertainty, which is consistent with the turmoil of the entire ATP. Reporters should continue to pay close attention.
Even after the press conference was over, there were still no exceptions——
When Gao Wen left the press conference room and came back outside, he could see the fans and reporters waiting at the door.
The buildings and facilities of the All England Club all retain the style of a hundred years ago. This is a private club, so the venue space is relatively limited. Compared with the other three Grand Slams, the tournament organizing committee makes full use of all the space here, but it is still a bit cramped.
For example, the central stadium.
There is only a foyer between the entrance and the stadium. It is transparent and bright, and you can see the inside at a glance.
Therefore, a unique scene can often be seen at Wimbledon. Before the match on Centre Court is about to begin, a large number of fanatical fans will gather at the door. They do not need to buy tickets, they only need to stand at the door to see the players waiting to get on the court, and finally watch the players come on stage.
The same is true in the press conference room.
Of course, a positive factor is that the distance between players and fans has been shortened, and players can interact with fans anytime and anywhere as long as they are willing.
Occasionally, fans would see Federer heading to the locker room after training on their way to the restaurant, and they would wave and say hello.
However, everything was new to Gawain. He had heard that fans would be waiting in every corner of the All England Club, but this was the first time. Moreover, Gawain had never expected that the fans crowding at the door would be so enthusiastic and crazy, filling his vision.
Is this normal?