ATP/ITF: Bad behavior in men's tennis and their failure to respond

[Nadalfan2013]

On Monday,ATP chairman Andrea Guadenzi sent out a circular to the workforce in which he said that tougher rulings would be introduced during the up coming clay court season.
"Effective immediately,the ATP Officiating team has been directed to take a stricter stance in judging violations of the Code of Conduct said Gaudenzi.
"Additional,we are also undertaking a review of the Code,as well as the disciplinary processes,to ensure that if provides appropriate and up to date penalties for serious violations and repeat offenders".

Djokovic and his fans in ruins...

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Djokovic and his fans in ruins...

Still waiting for these new 'stricter violations' for Code of Conduct' in writing from the ATP.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Michael Kouame,just 15 years old,has apologized for the nasty incident ( he slapped his opponent at the net after losing his match),explaining the match was 'extremely frustrating and difficult for me" and that he was harassed by some spectators.
Tennis needs to set a better example at all level from junior to professionals.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Michael Kouame,just 15 years old,has apologized for the nasty incident ( he slapped his opponent at the net after losing his match),explaining the match was 'extremely frustrating and difficult for me" and that he was harassed by some spectators.
Tennis needs to set a better example at all level from junior to professionals.

The only way that tennis will be safe is if Nadal is the only player on tour and he plays against a wall. Otherwise there will always be drama and bad behaviour.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

The only way that tennis will be safe is if Nadal is the only player on tour and he plays against a wall. Otherwise there will always be drama and bad behaviour.

Well apparently all a player has to do when they abuse an umpire,ball person or their opponent is to apologize on social media,pay a fine and/or go on a probation for 1 year like Zverev.
Lets see if the 'spineless ATP do go ahead with their stricter rules for Code Of Conduct as they are currently preaching in the up coming clay season and beyond.BTW the ATP still havent put to paper what these new Code of Conduct punishment's will be.

 

[Moxie]

Well apparently all a player has to do when they abuse an umpire,ball person or their opponent is to apologize on social media,pay a fine and/or go on a probation for 1 year like Zverev.
Lets see if the 'spineless ATP do go ahead with their stricter rules for Code Of Conduct as they are currently preaching in the up coming clay season and beyond.BTW the ATP still havent put to paper what these new Code of Conduct punishment's will be.

TC did a segment on this today. The usual blustering...hit them harder where it counts, i.e., the pocket, etc. I can appreciate that Gaudenzi wants to put it out there that he and the ATP will really do something, once they work out what it is, but it does tend to sound like more BS when they say it will come "later in the year." How hard can it really be to add some teeth to their Code, or remove some of the work-arounds, if they really want to?

Andrea Gaudenzi waves a big(ger) stick, but will clear and meaningful disciplinary protocols for unacceptable player conduct follow? | Tennis.com

If anything, there’s a great opportunity here for all those tennis functionaries who have been bragging about the new spirit of cooperation among the stakeholders to unite on tackling this issue.

www.tennis.com

 

[Fiero425]

Michael Kouame,just 15 years old,has apologized for the nasty incident ( he slapped his opponent at the net after losing his match),explaining the match was 'extremely frustrating and difficult for me" and that he was harassed by some spectators.
Tennis needs to set a better example at all level from junior to professionals.

OMG, I hadn't heard or seen this! WTF? Why wasn't he arrested? I don't GAF that he's just a child! That's bold to do in front of so many people!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

OMG, I hadn't heard or seen this! WTF? Why wasn't he arrested? I don't GAF that he's just a child! That's bold to do in front of so many people!

These days all you have to do is 'apologize" it is a Complete Joke I am still waiting for the France Tennis Federation and the ITF to take action against this youngster...so far Nothing

 

[Fiero425]

These days all you have to do is 'apologize" it is a Complete Joke I am still waiting for the France Tennis Federation and the ITF to take action against this youngster...so far Nothing

I guess I must be a terribly small person! Some lame apology on Instagram ain't gonna cut it w/ me! He'd be looking over his shoulder for me!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I guess I must be a terribly small person! Some lame apology on Instagram ain't gonna cut it w/ me! He'd be looking over his shoulder for me!

I agree,we are still waiting for the ATP and their 'New Stricter Code of Conduct' penalties which they are saying will be in force from the Clay season going forward?

 

[Moxie]

I agree,we are still waiting for the ATP and their 'New Stricter Code of Conduct' penalties which they are saying will be in force from the Clay season going forward?

Waiting, and still waiting. Also waiting to hear how the ATP investigation of the Zverev domestic abuse case is going. I hope the ATP people are staying up late and working hard, or we might start thinking they're not serious.

Seb Korda, when interviewed by TC today on the desk, after his match v. Alcaraz, aside from praising his game, made a point to say what a good person he is. When Alcaraz d. Ruud in Miami last week, each made a special point to say what a good person the other was. Am I reading in, or are these players starting to send the implicit message that maybe they, too, are sick of other players and their shitty behavior? I really wonder what the locker room divisions are on this.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Waiting, and still waiting. Also waiting to hear how the ATP investigation of the Zverev domestic abuse case is going. I hope the ATP people are staying up late and working hard, or we might start thinking they're not serious.

Seb Korda, when interviewed by TC today on the desk, after his match v. Alcaraz, aside from praising his game, made a point to say what a good person he is. When Alcaraz d. Ruud in Miami last week, each made a special point to say what a good person the other was. Am I reading in, or are these players starting to send the implicit message that maybe they, too, are sick of other players and their shitty behavior? I really wonder what the locker room divisions are on this.

Some players state what happens on the court stays on the court? though what Zverev did was just appalling and I do not think the locker room would have any empathy for him at all,that also goes for what Brooksby did to the young ball kid.
BTW I was watching Carlos Bernades today he had a big smile on his face,probably thinking than goodness Nick K isnt playing the European clay season

 

[Moxie]

Some players state what happens on the court stays on the court? though what Zverev did was just appalling and I do not think the locker room would have any empathy for him at all,that also goes for what Brooksby did to the young ball kid.
BTW I was watching Carlos Bernades today he had a big smile on his face,probably thinking than goodness Nick K isnt playing the European clay season

Oh, I do not expect to hear the inside scoop on this, I was just speculating, but you have to think that with all of this outrageous behavior, and tennis having to confront it, that players might be taking sides. I'm not saying against each other, but maybe some players, who do behave well, don't want to be tarnished with the same brush. And maybe, hopefully, younger players are seeing that bad behavior lives on social media. And that we, the fans, are maybe no longer so tolerant. I'll go back to Medvedev, who acted so brokenhearted after not getting the fan support he'd hoped for at the AO final. Completely forgetting that he'd abused the crowd's tolerance with his rude behavior v. Cressy, for example. I think there are astute players out there who will see that you don't get to switch a black hat for a white one in a day, and just because you want to.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Oh, I do not expect to hear the inside scoop on this, I was just speculating, but you have to think that with all of this outrageous behavior, and tennis having to confront it, that players might be taking sides. I'm not saying against each other, but maybe some players, who do behave well, don't want to be tarnished with the same brush. And maybe, hopefully, younger players are seeing that bad behavior lives on social media. And that we, the fans, are maybe no longer so tolerant. I'll go back to Medvedev, who acted so brokenhearted after not getting the fan support he'd hoped for at the AO final. Completely forgetting that he'd abused the crowd's tolerance with his rude behavior v. Cressy, for example. I think there are astute players out there who will see that you don't get to switch a black hat for a white one in a day, and just because you want to.

Some of these current abusive actions from players are not sending a good example to the rest of the tour,especially the up and coming players on the tour.I would love to be a fly on the wall in the locker room to hear if any of the recent behavior is discussed or players just keep their feelings to themselves....though honestly I cannot imagine any player giving any sympathy to Zverev and Co recently

 

[Fiero425]

Some of these current abusive actions from players are not sending a good example to the rest of the tour, esp. the up-and-coming players on the tour. I would love to be a fly on the wall in the locker room to hear if any of the recent behavior is discussed or players just keep their feelings to themselves....though honestly I cannot imagine any player giving any sympathy to Zverev and Co. recently.

Why are we acting like this is something new? It's just more prominent with top flight players due to Social Media! This has been going on since before Open Tennis! I guarantee if John McEnroe wasn't the #1 player in the world, he'd never get away with the $#!t he did, but nothing was off limits with him short of all out "A & B" on a linesman! Do I need to go into the history of bad sportsmanship with Ilie Nastase & Jimmy Connors? As I said about myself; a total gentleman w/ manners and someone you could introduce to mom, but on the tennis court I could be a terror! The older I got, the more profane! I conservatively think over 30 years I went thru well over 60 rackets! I stopped counting at 65! Some made it into the hands of a student or sold, but quite a few were destroyed! I did go thru period of emulating Borg with very tight strings in that wooden racket! Those didn't last due to fragility and the amount of time spent on court!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Why are we acting like this is something new? It's just more prominent with top flight players due to Social Media! This has been going on since before Open Tennis! I guarantee if John McEnroe wasn't the #1 player in the world, he'd never get away with the $#!t he did, but nothing was off limits with him short of all out "A & B" on a linesman! Do I need to go into the history of bad sportsmanship with Ilie Nastase & Jimmy Connors? As I said about myself; a total gentleman w/ manners and someone you could introduce to mom, but on the tennis court I could be a terror! The older I got, the more profane! I conservatively think over 30 years I went thru well over 60 rackets! I stopped counting at 65! Some made it into the hands of a student or sold, but quite a few were destroyed! I did go thru period of emulating Borg with very tight strings in that wooden racket! Those didn't last due to fragility and the amount of time spent on court!

I take your point abuse is nothing new,a top ranked player like Zverev did get away with verbal,abusive and nearly hit the feet of an umpire with his racket? though should umpires,ball kids have to be at their end of their rants and abuse...I say No,and quite frankly something has to be done about it....it has happened too many times of late,especially with the youngster slapping his opponent at the net,at the end of his match,?

 

[Moxie]

I'm going to put this article here. It's a fun read, especially if you click on some of the links. It also has a good guys v bad guys aspect to it, which pertains to this thread. And we don't have an Alejandro Davidovich Fokina fans thread. (Yet!)

Good Clean Fun: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina's wholesome run to the Monte Carlo semis is the surge men's tennis needed | Tennis.com

The 22-year-old Spaniard, who takes on Grigor Dimitrov in his first Masters 1000 semifinal, has become a fan favorite thanks to his flashy shotmaking and endearing personality.

www.tennis.com

Pertinent section to this thread:

"But tennis needs personalities, so goes the traditional logic, and fans want to see them. Yet, the backlash against umpire intimidation and reckless racquet throws is largely fan-driven: after a long day of work, they do not, in fact, want to see officials dodging equipment or enduring expletive-laden tirades.

Funny how Foki, for all his spills, never lets the racquet loose from his grip, or how an 0-for-7 break point conversion rate against Fritz sent him not into fits, but to the bathroom to regroup."

Note the bolded above, too. That the backlash has been largely fan-driven. That's us! Amongst others, but the implication is also that the ATP wouldn't be giving a rat's ass if this weren't giving tennis a black-eye in the opinions of fans. Feels good to be heard, eh?