Tennis' Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios and Holger Rune are recognized for his or her dangerous habits -- on and off courtroom.
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So long as tennis has welcomed spiffy, well-behaved gents corresponding to Björn Borg and Roger Federer to its posh courts, the game has additionally been residence to loads of devil-may-care dangerous boys who like to trample on custom.
John McEnroe screaming “You can't be critical!” on the stuffy British chair umpire at Wimbledon; Ilie Nastase leaping into mattress with a claimed 2,500 girls and shouting
“s – – t!” whereas enjoying a particular match for French children; present world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev giving the 2019 US Open crowd the finger whereas they booed.
Now that’s enjoyable!
We keep in mind indignant antics lots higher than hugs and handshakes. When the 2022 US Open begins Monday, some new and returning rogues will take the courtroom — able to make information with extra than simply their backhands.
Nick Kyrgios
Age: 27
Rank: 26
Behaving badly: Typically, tennis’ spitfires begin to settle down after some time. Not Australian Nick Kyrgios. Throughout this 12 months’s Wimbledon remaining — his first at a grand slam — towards Novak Djokovic, he went on an expletive-laced tirade in entrance of the royal household. Off along with his head!
For yelling “It’s a f – – king joke” in earshot of little Prince George, the angsty Aussie was fined $4,000.
Throughout the identical match, he demanded that an unruly fan be faraway from Centre Court docket, saying she was “drunk out of her thoughts” and that she’d had “about 700 drinks.” The girl is now suing him. Earlier within the event, he spat within the path of an onlooker and was fined. All instructed, he racked up $14,000 in penalty fees in London.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
Age: 24
Rank: 5
Behaving badly: When Tsitsipas broke out on the 2019 Australian Open, beating Roger Federer within the fourth spherical, he was the golden-haired Greek god of tennis. Now a well-established world No. 5, he’s thought of extra of a Hades than a Zeus.
The downturn began eventually 12 months’s US Open, when he tookan eight-minute toilet break whereas enjoying towards beloved champ Andy Murray. Tsitsipas was accused of dishonest and Murray mentioned he “misplaced respect” for the French Open finalist. Over the following two rounds Open crowds piled on, booing him and never serving to him in his eventual loss to good man Carlos Alcaraz within the third spherical. “Everyone seems to be immediately towards me!,” he mentioned. His as soon as shiny fame nonetheless hasn’t recovered.
Holger Rune
Age: 19
Rank: 32
Behaving badly: Regardless of his cherubic face, Rune (an enormous hit on the US Open final 12 months when he took a set off Djokovic), has a nasty mood. The Dane was investigated by the ATP in June 2021 for yelling homophobic slurs throughout a match. Then on the French Open this 12 months, the aspiring Hamlet screamed at his personal mom, “If you happen to’re not serving to then depart!” (She did.)
Throughout that very same match, he was roundly ripped for barely shaking his opponent Casper Ruud’s hand after dropping, which led Norwegian Ruud to say, “He must develop up, shut up and be extra gracious.”
Alexander Zverev
Age: 25
Rank: 2
Behaving badly: Zverev is out of the Open this 12 months after struggling an excruciating harm on the French Open within the spring. However he’s positively one among tennis’ most scandal-plagued figures.
In October 2020, his ex-girlfriend Olga Sharypova accused the German of abusing her all through their relationship in an interview with Racquet journal, together with making an attempt to smother her with a pillow two years earlier in New York. (The ATP has opened an investigation into the allegations.)
On the courtroom, his anger was on full show in February on the Mexican Open in Acapulco, the place he slammed his racket into the umpire’s chair repeatedly, narrowly lacking the person’s foot. He was ousted from the event for the reckless violence.
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