Talk About Tennis 2.0

On conduct on and off the field..

Of course, many of us (not me as much as others on this forum) are very concerned about the conduct of players off the court, and it influences the way they think about them - which is natural enough, after all, tennis players are human.
But today, I was musing on the death of the great Shane Warne, Australia's cricket legend.. he was a typical 'bad boy' - drinking and womanizing end so on.. because of that, they never made him captain of Australia. Yet almost anyone who knows cricket will vouch for the fact that he was the best captain they have ever seen.. if Australia had focused on his on-the-field abilities, instead of worrying about he did off it, they, and the cricket world, would have benefited from his captaincy, and many young bowlers would have benefited from his mentoring.. the loss to cricket is immense

Kristie Ahn is retiring. This note really captures her personality and why so many players will miss her on tour.

ashkor87 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 3:59 am On conduct on and off the field..

Of course, many of us (not me as much as others on this forum) are very concerned about the conduct of players off the court, and it influences the way they think about them - which is natural enough, after all, tennis players are human.
But today, I was musing on the death of the great Shane Warne, Australia's cricket legend.. he was a typical 'bad boy' - drinking and womanizing end so on.. because of that, they never made him captain of Australia. Yet almost anyone who knows cricket will vouch for the fact that he was the best captain they have ever seen.. if Australia had focused on his on-the-field abilities, instead of worrying about he did off it, they, and the cricket world, would have benefited from his captaincy, and many young bowlers would have benefited from his mentoring.. the loss to cricket is immense

^ I admittedly have no idea who Shane Warne was (cricket is obviously not very popular in North America). I've just read one article about him - died at age 52 of a heart attack. Sounds like a character similar to race driver James Hunt, who had a similar lifestyle and who also died young (45) of a heart attack (he died in the town of Wimbledon - so there's the required tennis link).

Based on your post, I would say that they were correct to not make Warne the captain. Because that would have sent the message to impressionable kids that his off the field behaviour was fine - that you could be out of control, disrespectful to women, etc., and as long as you were a good cricket player, none of that matters, because we will assess a person based on his ability to play a game, and not on his ability to live life decently and respectfully.
That is absolutely the message that kids would receive if someone like him were rewarded with a captaincy.

As well, to me, being a captain involves far more than one's ability to play the game (in any sport). Being a captain is to be a leader on and off the field. I'm not sure that I'd want Warne to lead the team's players straight to the local bars after every game, and to sleep with 'x' number of women per week.
The team captain is also the representative of the team to the public. I wouldn't want a person in that role whose behaviour out among the public is any degree of bad.

One can be a leader on the field, and even in the locker room in matters related to the game, without having been named captain. No-one was stopping him from doing that.
But, in terms of the principles I would want the captain of the team to have, from your description of Warne, he would be far from my choice, for the reasons I've stated.

JazzNU wrote: ↑Sat Mar 05, 2022 4:38 am Kristie Ahn is retiring. This note really captures her personality and why so many players will miss her on tour.

Pretty sure I never saw her play because, you know, tennis coverage in L. America.
But that was obviously written by her, not a PR person, and it was an honest farewell. Let's wish her a life full of success.

Why is Gauff excluded from this conversasion? Same generation I'd say.

Suliso wrote: ↑Sun Mar 06, 2022 2:51 am Why is Gauff excluded from this conversasion? Same generation I'd say.

I think because Gauff wasn't in the juniors that long to have played these other players that much.

It's the Daily Fail so...

well, well, well...

8 weeks! Is that from today or from the date of the incident?

Either way, that is bye bye Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, & Barcelona, right?

Hmm...on the ATP website it says:

As a result, Zverev has been issued an additional fine of US$25,000 and a suspension for a period of eight weeks from any ATP-sanctioned event. However, the fine and suspension are withheld on the condition that, over a probation period ending 22 February 2023 (one year from the incident), the player does not incur a further Code Violation that results in a fine for:

Unsportsmanlike Conduct based upon an act, such as disrespectful or aggressive behaviour directed towards an official, opponent, spectator, or other person during or upon conclusion of a match
Verbal or Physical Abuse of an official, opponent, spectator, or any other person while on-court or on-site

If the conditions are met, the penalties will be formally dismissed following the completion of the probation period. If the conditions are not met, the penalties will be invoked after any appeal process is exhausted.

So...if I understand correctly, he's not really suspended after all if he can keep his temper under wraps.

texasniteowl wrote: ↑Tue Mar 08, 2022 2:44 am Hmm...on the ATP website it says:

As a result, Zverev has been issued an additional fine of US$25,000 and a suspension for a period of eight weeks from any ATP-sanctioned event. However, the fine and suspension are withheld on the condition that, over a probation period ending 22 February 2023 (one year from the incident), the player does not incur a further Code Violation that results in a fine for:

Unsportsmanlike Conduct based upon an act, such as disrespectful or aggressive behaviour directed towards an official, opponent, spectator, or other person during or upon conclusion of a match
Verbal or Physical Abuse of an official, opponent, spectator, or any other person while on-court or on-site

If the conditions are met, the penalties will be formally dismissed following the completion of the probation period. If the conditions are not met, the penalties will be invoked after any appeal process is exhausted.

So...if I understand correctly, he's not really suspended after all if he can keep his temper under wraps.

"Ooooooch. That part of my wrist is really sensitive." , said Sasha Zverev.


Kevin

texasniteowl wrote: ↑Tue Mar 08, 2022 2:44 am So...if I understand correctly, he's not really suspended after all if he can keep his temper under wraps.

So just like the Kyrios suspension from a few years ago - I knew they wouldn't do anything.

Exactly. When they let Kyrgios get away with his "Donna Comment" with the suspended suspension, they set down a precedent.
So now this. I hope he is honest enough (and his PR people smart enough) and accepts that this is "reasonable", and say so publicly.

"As a result, Zverev has been issued an additional fine of US$25,000 and a suspension for a period of eight weeks from any ATP-sanctioned event."
The remainder of their text shows the above to be blatantly untrue. He has not been suspended at all. He has been merely threatened with a possible suspension. There's a significant difference between being suspended and being threatened with a possible suspension.

How do they get away with this garbage?

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