Serena Williams was all class on court in her moment of defeated anguish, but Australian Open broadcast cameras captured the moment she finally let it all out while walking through the walk of champions off Rod Laver Arena.
A number of male and female stars have spoken previously this week about the presence of TV cameras posted all through the players areas off the court at the facility β with some even complaining about the big brother nature of the tournament.
It was those same cameras that captured the moment Williams had to wipe tears away as she left the court on her way back to the locker room.
Williams, however, was perfectly composed and accepting of her loss when she fronted the media less than an hour after she was punted from the Open.
"The big picture for me is always winning, I'm not going to sit here and lie about that," she said.
"It's going to happen. I just need to keep taking it one match at a time.
"It's definitely not easy for me I expect from day one to go out and win. I have the attitude that I've only been playing 10 moths, but I expect to win and it's disappointing when I lose."
'I'VE LITERALLY NEVER SEEN THAT'
Williams said she's never seen tennis of the calibre that Karolina Pliskova turned on late in their third set epic.
She was full of praise for her opponent after the match and was adamant that she did not choke when the finish line was within reach. She instead declared she was helpless to try and stop the red-hot Pliskova's six-game run.
"I don't really take losses well, but like I said, Karolina literally played lights out from 5-1, like literally I've never seen anything like that," she said.
Williams insists she still played well, despite her serve being broken on three straight games.
"There's nothing I did wrong on those match points, I just stayed aggressive and she literally hit the lines on some of those points.," she said.
"I literally did everything I could on those points.
"I can't say I choked on those points, she literally played her best ever on those points."
WILLIAMS' COOL RESPONSE TO LINESMAN CONTROVERSY
Serena Williams barely flinched despite being pulled up for a foot fault for the first stime while serving with match point.
It was this moment where the drama began to surge.
Serving at 5-1, the linesman's call triggered an epic series of blunders and drama. On the following point, Williams rolled her left ankle and was spotted standing gingerly and trying to take some wait off it. She was able to keep playing and didn't even call for a trainer.
She double faulted on her next serves and then dumped a backhand into the net to hand Pliskova the game. From there Pliskova snatched the next five games and a spot in the semi-finals against Naomi Osaka.
She said in her post-match press conference that her ankle appeared to be fine.
On court, Williams showed no signs of frustration at the pedantic foot fault call, prompting tennis commentators have highlighted how different her response was to other moments in her career. Controversial calls against Williams have in the past resulted in nuclear eruptions, including the 2018 US Open final against Naomi Osaka and the 2009 US Open semi-final where a lineswoman ultimately claimed Williams had threatened to her.
HOW THE TENNIS WORLD REACTED
New York Times tennis guru Chris Clarey said he was struggling to remember a moment where Williams β the great champion that she is β has ever suffered a collapse like the won she suffered against Pliskova.
WHAT THE WINNER HAD TO SAY
Karolina Pliskova said she couldn't explain how she suddenly caught fire when facing match points against her.
"Then suddenly I got a chance too," she said of Williams' unstoppable hitting in the second set and her dramatic response late in the third set.
"That's how it is in tennis. You need luck, of course, because this is I think not happening often, maybe once in life. But I went for it. I just said, like, whatever.
"Maybe this can be over, but let's just try this game. I was with the wind, which kind of helped me little bit. I just went for my shots. I played actually a good game I think going on 5-2. Then, you know, I said, Okay, let's try to hold my serve. Then we will see what's going to happen. She was already match point up in that 5-1 game. Lot of things happened I felt like in those games.
"I just felt a chance. I think she maybe got little bit, I don't, for sure it was in her head. Lot of things happen. I saw a chance and I just took it."
