Tennis Related - Off Court Serious Issues

[ti-amie]

Fan comment including some tea on the South American's who were caught.

Jannik Schneider is literally the only journalist covering this story with any sense of credibility or knowledge.

He's a truly great resource, I remember this podcast episode he did with Edmund Willison (a doping expert), and that's where the tea was spilled that in the South American contamination cases of BHM, Jarry, and more, the ITF did not even bother contacting the pharmacies these players claimed contaminated their supplements. That's when I knew anti-doping tennis was really hopeless (which is fine, other leagues/sports like association football, NBA, NFL, MLB, and more do not care about doping either), but the tennis community lives in this weird limbo where if someone they don't like is caught, they're a dirty cheater and should die, but if it's another person, then it's all a mistake and will be resolved soon.

Ever since the ITIA took over it does seem a lot more serious which makes sense cause it's led by people with actual experience of anti-doping in other organizations, that may in fact be why Halep and Ratoglou are running around and trying to pressure the hearing to happen NOW so that these people who actually know what they're doing don't find more evidence to build their case, or something.

In a way I feel bad for Simona cause if this was still in the ITF days, she could have said her ex-husband's sister-in law's best friend was a CKD patient and she went into her vitamin cupboard thinking the roxadustat was Vitamin C, and lo and behold she'd be getting ready to play RG in a week.

via @strong-era

[JTContinental]

Sloane Stephens talking about dealing with racism on social media, and how she feels that it has actually gotten worse for athletes in recent years despite the creation of software set to deter those comments, since they are easy to work around.

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/ ... tten-worse

[ponchi101]

Can't thank you for that link, Jt, but let's say it is appreciated.
Could the WTA have its own platform for SM? Could be easier to control that way (I mean the abuse).

[ti-amie]

Can't thank you for that link, Jt, but let's say it is appreciated.
Could the WTA have its own platform for SM? Could be easier to control that way (I mean the abuse).

The WTA have it's own what?! Have you seen their website? And let's not forget the fiasco that is WTA TV that's not available in the States because of shenanigans on their part?

When a fan site is posting better and more information on your tour than you are you have a big problem.

[ponchi101]

Ok, but I was only at the COULD; I did not even reach the SHOULD...

[JTContinental]

I didn't see this posted anywhere, but feel free to delete if it has. Djokovic embroiled in controversy again about something he wrote on the camera after his 1st round win.

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/ ... ia-tension

[ponchi101]

I wish I knew more about the history of that entire region to have a proper opinion.

[ti-amie]

There was a lot of unrest over the weekend about Albanian mayors in majority Serbian areas.

[mmmm8]

I wish I knew more about the history of that entire region to have a proper opinion.

Kosovo is 90% Albanians but the North where unrest is happening is majority Serbian. Serbia (and Russia) never recognized Kosovo's independence. The EU (or UN?) directed Kosovo to provide more autonomy to the Northern regions some years ago, Kosovo hasn't and now ethnic Albanian mayors were elected because Serbs boycotted the elections. The unrest was triggered by the mayors taking office.

Djokovic's father is from Northern Kosovo.

Part of the reason Djokovic made controversy, I think, is his past lunch with an ethnic cleanser.

[Suliso]

In my opinion this is the case were exchange of territories would make sense. Few parts of northern Kosovo to Serbia and few remaining municipalities in Southern Serbia with Albanian majority to Kosovo. It was actually seriously proposed few years ago, but blocked by hardliners. It's silly to expect these two nationalities to live together happily ever after now. As the saying goes good fences make good neighbors.

I would rarely propose such a thing, but sometimes there is no better choice.

[skatingfan]

Have we had a discussion about the domestic violence allegations against Thiago Seyboth Wild?

Wild’s joy was evident as he celebrated his moment of glory, but he faced an uncomfortable question in his post match press conference as he was asked about domestic abuse claims made against him.

Former partner Thayane Lima is reported to have accused him of physical and psychological violence and he was asked about the incident in his post-match press conference.

When the subject was raised, Wild was quick to offer a dismissive response as he said: “I don’t think it’s a subject we should talk about it right here.

“I don’t think it’s a question you should be making to anybody. I don’t think it comes to you to decide whether it’s a place to be spoken of or not.”

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/watch- ... CL_n-GBsnE

[ponchi101]

Busy days yesterday/day before yesterday at the press room.
Novak's Kosovo comments.
Sabalenka asked about the war.
Thiago SW asked about the domestic abuse allegations.

Of course, Sabalenka and SW did not bring the subject up. Novak did, when writing the message on the camera glass. I would have thought that he was inviting, at least, a little conversations on the subject, and perhaps even make a statement on his position. He has the platform, after all.

[mmmm8]

Yes, Djokovic was for sure using his platform. If some are right about his potential political ambitions, it was also a bit strategic.

I'd say the question to Seybouth Wild is warranted and in public interest (whether he is guilty or innocent) and although he didn't bring it up, the situation invites him as it concerns him directly.

[ponchi101]

I have said it before. Novak will be president of Serbia one day. Stating his position here would be a step in that direction.
My point was that all three seemed to be annoyed at the line of questions, but Novak was the one that invited it. Aryna and Thiago did not write anything on a camera glass; Novak did.

[ti-amie]

THIAGO SEYBOTH WILD, THE BOMBSHELL TENNIS DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO DEFUSE: “MY GRANDFATHER TAUGHT HITLER LIFE”
by SEBASTIÁN FEST 3 June, 2023

PARIS – In the tournament of his life, Thiago Seyboth Wild missed the opportunity of a lifetime. First, because he had dominated the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka for much of the match on Saturday and had a real chance to move into the round of 16 at Roland Garros. But, above all, because his time in Paris was marked by accusations of violence against his former partner, a subject that many international media will not let him pass: he managed to avoid talking about it this time, but in the next tournaments the question will come back, come back and come back. Because he doesn’t talk about it and because the accusations are getting worse and worse.

One sentence, quoted by the Brazilian newspaper “O Globo“, which has a high prestige and readership, is enough to give the dimension of the issue: “My family on my mother’s side is Nazi”.

During the match at the Simone Mathieu Stadium, perhaps the most beautiful stadium of the tournament, set in the middle of a greenhouse, Seyboth Wild took the breath away from the spectators: the dry power of his forehand is of boundless beauty, the offensive arrogance of his game is impressive.

This tennis player, several onlookers commented, cannot be ranked 172nd in the world. That “gillette” that he threw in a moment – the ball bounces and returns to his side of the net – brought back the memory of the great Spaniard Manolo Santana…. The list of praise for the Brazilian’s game is long, very long: there is talent, power, there is a lot of tennis. Although in the final set it was diluted: Nishioka won the match.

There is also an angry, very angry tennis player. The number of times Seyboth shouted at himself, the number of protests he initiated, the number of times he raised his arms, the number of times he scowled. That racquet thrown to the floor and smashed, deformed….

What is wrong with Seyboth Wild, why is he so angry at 23 years of age and with a career that is clearly taking off?

Questions that nobody was able to ask the Brazilian, because after winning in the second round and after losing in the third round he did not give the press conference that is customary in tennis. Journalists took it for granted that one of the revelations of the tournament, the man who eliminated world number two Daniil Medvedev, would be promoted by the ATP, would have a moment to express himself to the media, even to apologise for his very bad manners in the only press conference he gave.

Nicola Arzani, ATP communications director, explained to CLAY the reasons for Seyboth Wild’s no-show at a press conference: “For the second consecutive round, Thiago did all the interviews he was requested for. The meeting with the international print media did not take place just because there were no requests”.

Seyboth Wild only spoke to television. He told the Brazilian sports channel “Sportv” that he literally died physically, that he paid the toll of the three matches in the qualifying round and the five sets in the first round. And before the interview he made it clear that he does not want to talk about the accusations against him for domestic violence.

That is probably why the meeting with the international print media did not take place. The ATP understood that it was better for him not to open his mouth and Seyboth Wild left Paris without talking about his tennis or the allegations that were reported in detail in “O Globo” this week. If his idea is to continue being a tennis player, sooner or later those press conferences and the questions he doesn’t want to answer will come.

And they will be worse questions, because what “O Globo” published was amplified this weekend by “TV Globo”, the big Brazilian TV station.

The revelations, based on WhatsApp messages Seyboth Wild exchanged with Thayane Lima, with whom he cohabited under civil union for a year and a half, are shocking.

“Your mother doesn’t like gays, blacks and Jews, is that it?” asks Lima. The tennis player, tersely, replies “yes”.
In that exchange, Seyboth Wild comes clean: “My family on my mother’s side is Nazi. Literally.

He adds: “My great-grandfather, my mother’s father’s father’s father… was Hitler’s predecessor…. He was the one who brought him over from Austria and taught Hitler the life”.

In the messages revealed by “O Globo”, Seyboth Wild includes photos of his great-grandfather standing next to the leader of the Nazi genocide and highlights how Hitler stands “in a firm position” before him.

After learning of the publication of “O Globo”, the tennis player’s family made it known that they “vehemently repudiate” his comments, which include insults of all kinds to his partner and allusions to “poor and black (expletive)”.

Lima told the Brazilian newspaper that when she met him, she took it upon herself to help the tennis player regain his confidence, to make him realise what he was capable of (“I encouraged him to train even on Sundays”).

And in those whatsapps that went back and forth between the two, the player confesses to his partner that he spent thousands and thousands of dollars on alcohol and parties. And he thanks her: “Do you know what you did to me? You showed me that I deserved better than that. You did something for me that money can’t pay for.”

Despite these thanks, Seyboth Wild was extremely violent with his partner, to the point of twisting her finger under the table during a dinner with her parents. The influencer now lives in the United States and has no intention of returning to Brazil.

In view of the way the information about him has been going, the player sent a statement to “O Globo”.

“Faced with some articles and posts published this week about me, I want to clarify that the processes underway in Brazil, as well as a criminal proceeding in which I appear as a victim, are under secrecy. This means that I cannot make statements, comments or expose conversations, which should also apply to the other party,” he says, referring to his ex-partner.

“But above all I want to remember and reinforce that there was no trial, so I cannot be considered guilty. I have not yet received the summons issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Rio de Janeiro because I no longer have a fixed residence in Brazil. I have spent the last few months training in Argentina or competing in other countries. The same goes for the other party, who was also not summoned because he does not live in Brazil. Anyway, my lawyers have already notified the courts of my parents’ address in Parana. At the moment I am totally focused on my career, back to my best level of play, and confident that my innocence will be proven in due time.”



via Amazonas Atual