Worsley at the Aussie Open: The tennis stars who speak like champions

Danielle Collins.
American Danielle Collins. Photo credit: AAP

OPINION: American Danielle Collins should be given the title. The title of best media conferences. She was clear, open with her views, easy to understand and seemed to be a pleasant and warm individual. Just because she speaks English, or American, doesn't make her a winner by default.

Many tennis players who are native English speakers are horrid to listen to or talk to. One of those at times has been Serena Williams. However, she gets a big smiley face this time for not be rude.

Serena has been on a relative charm offensive, maybe to make up for her issues at the US Open. She even praised her opponent after a loss. In fact, she was at pains to give Karolina Pliskova compliments for her play and neglected any thought of any injury hindering her as she failed to convert four match points and a 5-1 lead in the third set.

Novak Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic. Photo credit: Reuters

Novak Djokovic always gives long answers in press conferences, sometimes a little convoluted. Although he quickly shut down an annoying Colombian journalist who has been ruining the conferences, asking bizarre questions. Djokovic is smart enough to know what he's doing. The only issue with Djokovic is that he takes an ice age actually to get to his media conferences, and this is a problem for a lot of female players.

Some of the winners early on at the Australian Open take longer to come into a media conference than what it took to win their match. Seriously, it's not that painful for seven minutes of media.

Roger Federer is Swiss and like clockwork when it comes to turning up to his media conference. It's 45 minutes or shorter. Only once in recent times has he taken longer and that was because of an injury concern. Federer always gets asked to comment on other aspects of tennis or life aside from his own game, and is usually happy to discuss anything.

Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
Frenchman Lucas Pouille. Photo credit: AAP

During the 2019 Australian Open, Frenchman Lucas Pouille has been a breath of fresh air as well and has on a number of occasions put some conservative media in their place when still appeared shocked that he has a female coach the great Amelie Mauresmo.

"Men are coaching women, so why not the contrary?" and, "I don't' get it, but as I said, again and again, it is not about being a man or a woman; it is about knowing tennis and having a good state of mind. She is a champion, she is a great coach."

And good on Pouille for being so typically French and also pointing out the obvious.

Newcomer Stefanos Tsitsipas could be a Greek philosopher with the way he almost tells a story in his media conferences and explains his feelings. He's fantastic to listen to and converses so well with anyone it seems even after a thrashing at the hands of Nadal.

Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Stefanos Tsitsipas. Photo credit: AAP

A couple of other players who let their emotion show in media conferences this year were Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who apologised profusely for getting angry on the court at in his fourth-round loss. He had tears in his eyes as showed genuine remorse for getting upset.

Andy Murray had tears in his eyes as he explained his first-round loss to Roberta Bautista Agut and how his injury was effectively ending his career. It was a media conference which had many of the attending press feeling very emotional as well.

No one is expecting a player after a win or a loss, particularly when English is a second or third language to be a brilliant linguist, but some are better than others and so far at the 2019 Australian Open the performances in the media conferences have been equal of some top play on the court.

Dave Worlsey is a Newshub sports reporter, covering his 21st Australian Open.