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“Aspen Ashley is standing with me to talk about the matches she played today; and that’s matches, plural. How do you think that rain delay played into your second match today?” She held the microphone over to Aspen.

“Yeah, we weren’t happy about it. We’ve played two matches in a day before – that’s how these tournaments work sometimes – but we should’ve played that first one last night. We were ready for that, warmed up and everything, but then, the weather hit, so we couldn’t play. We tried to relax and get ready this morning, and we thought we did, but we were up against a tough team that took us to a long three sets, so even after trying to rest and eat and get ready to play this afternoon, it wasn’t enough. We only had about two hours to do all of that. Not to take anything away from our opponents today, who were great, but they played last yesterday afternoon and were well-rested.”

“You’ve won the previous three tournaments. How are you feeling going into the next one with this loss?”

Aspen met Kendra’s eyes, and Kendra could tell she was at least slightly annoyed.

“I’m feeling like we played well, but we had a few mistakes we need to clean up, which we can do, and that we’ll be fine in the next tournament. We’ve got a good coach, and DJ is the best partner I could ask for. She’s the kind of person who’s working even when she’s sitting on her couch. She’s thinking about the mistakes we’ve made and how to fix them, watching film and other teams to try to learn from them, too, and she’s always early and stays late at practice. So, I’m feeling good about our chances at the next one.”

“And how about the Olympics qualifying that’s going on presently; how are you feeling about that?”

“Fine. We’re in the best position we can be in right now,” Aspen replied.

“Plenty of qualifying events are coming up, though, giving other US teams a chance to earn points,” Kendra noted.

“True, but we have the same chances, so we’re going to focus on staying healthy and keeping sharp.”

“Okay. We’re good, Kendra,” her producer said in her ear. “The weather delay is over. Wrap it up.”

“Thanks for the time, Aspen. And good luck on your next match,” Kendra said.

“Thanks,” Aspen replied.

“And we’re clear,” the producer added.

Kendra took out her earpiece and said, “Thanks for that.”

“Sure. But, Kendra?”

“Yeah?”

“What is it with you reporters?” Aspen laughed a little and reached down to pick up her bag. “You have to talk to us after a big loss? What do you all think we’re going to say, exactly? That we’re super happy we’ve just lost something we’ve worked really hard for?”

“Sorry. We had a Formula One weather delay, and my producer needed to fill, so he told me to grab you. You’re the face of the tour, Aspen.”

“I also just lost,” the woman argued, hefting her bag over her shoulder. “So, I’m not exactly feeling great.”

“I know. Sorry. You played well, though, if it makes you feel any better. So did DJ.”

“No, DJ played like crap, and she knows it, which is why she didn’t want to be interviewed. She’ll be fine because she’s a great player, but she needs to be by herself right now, in her headphones, to try to get her head back on track. So, can you keep that in mind next time if you need to fill and we lose?”

“Sure. So, just grab you, then?”

“Preferably not.” Aspen laughed a little. “I remember the Olympics when Mikaela Shiffrin skied out the first time in one of her events, and the camera stayed on her for, like, fifteen minutes or something because she just sat there in the snow, devastated. Four years of hard work would come down to a one-minute race, and it was over.”

“I was there. I remember that.”

“Yeah… I hated that for her. She’s a pro athlete, and she’d just lost something big, and there were other skiers going down that mountain, trying to win a medal, but the camera just sat there on her. Then, people wanted to interview her, and it’s like… Give her a damn break, you know?”

“Well, this isn’t exactly the Olympics,” Kendra pointed out, trying to defend herself.

“No, but the principle still applies. This is something important to DJ and me. It’s our job; our career, you know? We just lost. I’m not really up for talking about it. I get that it’s part of the job, but… still. That’s all I’m trying to say. I know you’ve got a job to do, but it kind of sucks sometimes, to be immediately confronted with your failure so that some TV network can get ratings or fill for time or some other reason I can’t think of right now because we’ve just lost a match we should’ve won.”

Kendra didn’t know what to say to that, so she didn’t say anything.

“Well, I should go find DJ and check on her before she goes into her hours-long solitude mode. And we have to get to the airport anyway, so… I guess I’ll see you next time.”

“Yeah, next time,” Kendra said.