Talk About Tennis 2.0

ti-amie wrote: ↑Fri Jan 28, 2022 7:26 pm I find nothing amusing about Medvedev's outburst. He call the chair a "pu**y" which is one step from calling him the "eff" word and this is cute? Amusing? No. Alexis Sr said it best.

The outburst was ugly. I liked the "small cat" phrasing, though. I didn't think about it too hard - it just made me laugh out loud. Medvedev should totally get a fine for his rant and maybe the "small cat" quip. Wasn't he walking off the court when he said this, after the match? If not, he should have gotten a penalty at the time. The punishment is a separate issue than the entertainment value (which, in this case, I enjoyed, but understand that it hits other people differently).

It happened mid-match. He was walking off the court, but it was between sets, not after the match was over.

It's over the top for sure. And while I'm not condoning the rant, I can understand Medvedev's frustration. Tsitsipas's dad's coaching is nonstop. It's ridiculous. It's almost like it's compulsive. And other than a warning, nothing is ever done. I'd love to know if the chair umpires feel like they actually have the freedom to call a second coaching violation in a match. It's obvious that it's happening. Where does the lack of enforcement come from? Is it internal or external or a combination of both? To be honest, the coaching bugs me way more than the rant. The rant would not have existed without the repeated coaching violations. Honestly, the ATP and WTA should just tell the players that starting in 2022, from now on, they are going to actually enforce this rule. And then they should do it. In a few weeks, no one will be doing it anymore. It's not rocket science.

Kevin

dmforever wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:33 am It's over the top for sure. And while I'm not condoning the rant, I can understand Medvedev's frustration.

Kevin

Replace Medvedev with Kyrgios in this exact match and circumstances against Tsitsipas. Are you posting this?

JazzNU wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:59 am

dmforever wrote: ↑Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:33 am It's over the top for sure. And while I'm not condoning the rant, I can understand Medvedev's frustration.

Kevin

Replace Medvedev with Kyrgios in this exact match and circumstances against Tsitsipas. Are you posting this?

Good question. It's hard for me to say because they come with different histories. But I think so. Again, Medvedev went way over the top, but the coaching is ridiculous. So if Nick called that out, or anyone else for that matter (yes, even Fabio, shudder shudder), I think I'd be OK with that. And I am kind of ambivalent about Nick. He can be so much fun, and he has a huge heart and his talent is off the charts. But he tanks matches, and what he said about Vekic to Wrarinka was hard for me to forget.

Kevin

Isn't this like a: "He started!" 5 years old conversation? (by Medvedev). I gather that the whole point is that Tsisipas has to be called for the coaching, AND Medvedev has to be called for the insults to the chair. It is not a "this OR that" thing.
I gather the underlying issue is that the ATP is totally inconsistent in calling its players for different code violations. Sometimes an umpire will call the serve clock violation, then another won't. Then they will call coaching, then they won't.
I guess Medvedev's "a small cat" can be applied to the entire umpire staff of the ATP.

I wonder whom the 'coaching' bothers and whom it benefits.. can Tsitsipas actually hear anything being shouted to him above the din? It probably distracts him more than his opponent...! he said he cant hear a thing, in his post-match interview.. I dont know, for sure, but I do wonder.. I know when my son played and I used to shout advice to him from the sidelines, it bothered him more than his opponent!

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Fri Jan 28, 2022 4:41 pm

ponchi101 wrote:

meganfernandez wrote: ↑Fri Jan 28, 2022 3:11 pm

Why can't these people stop coaching? Is it a compulsion? Is it hubris? Is it just too reflexive? Do they not know what counts as coaching? It's bizarre.

They truly believe that Jr. can't win without their advice. They need to introduce themselves into the match. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that some of these tennis parents simply live vicariously the tennis life they never had, via their more talented children.
Medvedev has become a serial abuser of the chair, and it seems to be a current theme with the new generation. Of course, not all. Plenty are very nice and well behaved: FAA, Berrettini, Rublev. But there are enough characters on the tour to make it concerning for the image of the game. If you have ONE villain, sure, it ads to the broth. If you have several (Medvedev, Tsisipas, Shapo) then it gets to be too much.

Yeah, Medvedev's sustained, full-throated tirade and demands to “LOOK AT ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!” were pretty ugly. It’s one thing to pop off in frustration. To demean is another. Roddick demeaned umpires and line judges and I hated it.

https://www.instagram.com/underarmserve ... =copy_link

Roddick was an asshole. As disrespectful as they come.
Roddick wanted/wants to be viewed as being 'clever' and 'witty' - but I always viewed him as a complete phony. I can't understand anyone who had/has respect for him.

Courrier was very similar to Roddick (or, I suppose Roddick was very similar to Courrier, as Courrier was on the tour first). Both were terrible toward umpires.

I don't condone the way that Medvedev is with umpires - it's boorish, disrespectful, childish, etc. That said, it adds some spice to the sport. Having players show their true personality - whether it's as a mature, respectful person, or as an immature jerk - a is much better, in an overall sense, than having a bunch of automatons out there all behaving the same. Everyone should have the right to reveal who they truly are - and if they reveal themselves to be an asshole, they themselves are usually going to be the ones who suffer the most from it.

Also, the way that Medvedev (and a few others) are behaving toward umpires today is nothing compared to what Nastase, Connors, McEnroe, etc. did back in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. You can easily add Roddick and Courrier to that list.
We must, as well, remember that tennis is one of the only sports where fans (and media persons) can hear player and coach interactions with officials. I doubt very much that managers in baseball are inviting the umpires to dinner when they charge out onto the field to 'talk' with them.