After losing to Flavia Pennetta in the second round of the U.S. Open, world No. 5 Sara Errani admits that the pressure of being a top-ranked player has gotten to her and says she has lost her love of the battle.
“I think these things happen to everybody when you feel on the top and you are there and the people is playing against you with no pressure and you have a lot of pressure,” the No. 4 seed said in her post-match press conference. “I'm not that kind of player that can go there and make ace and winner, and if the ball is going in I'm doing good. For me is to go there and fight. If I feel that I'm not fighting good for too much pressure. Because I don't want to go on the court. I don't want to go to play. I don't want to stay there on the court. I feel very bad.”
Errani also admitted she felt more pressure after being bumped up to the fourth seed with the withdrawal of No. 3 Maria Sharapova. Errani, who reached the U.S. Open semifinals last year, said she dealt with that pressure “very bad.”
“I know all the players expecting from me, and I would like to know how to do,” she said. "But you have to pass it on yourself, and it's not the same that somebody is telling you, so I hope this can make me stronger. Winning or losing is not my problem. [It] is to feel good on the court.”