Tennis star disqualified at French Open ‘because she hit a ballgirl’ not a ballboy | Tennis | Sport

“Nothing was fun until the day of the finals,” Kato added. “Luckily I received a lot of encouraging messages, positive messages. The players, the coaches, everyone was very supportive. [Maria] Bouzkova sent me a message, but I didn’t reply. ‘Sorry about today. Hope you and your partner are ok’.”

Kato lost her appeal after her 240 ranking points and £18,300 in prize money were stripped by the French Tennis Federation, providing added motivation at Wimbledon though she is still searching for a mixed doubles partner.

“Since I couldn’t have the Roland Garros points, I have to win at Wimbledon. Although I like clay, not grass,” she said before teasing a potential mixed partner. “I’m friends with [Austin] Krajicek, so maybe one day we’ll play together.”