During these months there have been several awkward, unsportsmanlike episodes that have undoubtedly tainted the image of tennis. The youngest in chronological order is that of Michael Kouame, no.
Rising to the ATP level, the images of Alexander Zverev repeatedly hitting the seat judge’s post in doubles in Acapulco are still vivid in everyone’s memory and he was immediately disqualified from the tournament.
Or again Nick Kyrgios’ heated diatribe against Carlos Bernardes in the match against Jannik Sinner in Miami. Also from the Masters 1000 in Florida came the bad gesture from Jenson Brooksby, who nearly hit a ball boy with his racquet in his match against Federico Coria.
All events that have sparked a number of controversies to which the ATP has decided to respond with facts and has promised a change of register to punish unsportsmanlike gestures from now on. Former German tennis player Anke Huber sided with those who occasionally make noise on this issue, specifying that there is an imaginary red line that nobody can cross.
Huber: ‘Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are correct but boring’
In an interview for Eurosport Germany, former player Anke Huber, world No. 4 and finalist at the 1996 Australian Open, recounted the unsportsmanlike episodes recently staged on the tour.
“With John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, it was pretty normal to blame the referee. Later we had this phase with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who always behaved in a sporty and very correct manner.
But when everyone is silently looking straight ahead, it gets boring. I don’t think emotions are negative, but they shouldn’t get silly and should be contained. But if it gets too much, the boys should not be dismantled immediately.
It was extreme for Alexander Zverev in Acapulco, yes. Nobody liked it. But to me, that’s not his real face. The day before he had played until five in the morning. Sometimes you have to look at the circumstances because physically he was certainly exhausted, which is no excuse.”
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