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26YO Aussie Backed by Serena Williams’ Ex-coach Breaks His Silence as He Enters Damage Control Mode Following Shanghai Masters Blunder

Published 10/06/2023, 3:52 PM EDT

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Rage gets you nowhere in life. However, in Marc Polmans’ case, it got him disqualified. The 22-year-old Australian tennis star lost his cool on Tuesday while playing against the Italian, Stefano Napolitano. He recently tweeted about the whole situation, trying to clear the air. Will this tweet get him on the good side of the masses?

Ironically, Marc was doing well and could have won that qualifying match at the Shanghai Masters. The match (7-6 6-6) was going in his favor. However, his rage got the better of him. His instant disqualification was a result of that. It’s safe to say that Marc is out from the Shanghai Masters for good.

Marc Polmans apologizes to the umpire

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If only Marc had kept his head cool, this could’ve been avoided. Umpires don’t deserve this kind of treatment. However, Marc in his latest tweet clarified he didn’t intend to do any harm. He acknowledges that his actions were unintentional, but still wrong at many levels.

Marc, after apologizing for his actions, continues to explain what he was trying to accomplish. He shanked the ball on the frame of his racket in frustration at the heat of the moment, not realizing where it would go. Even though Marc’s actions were not ill-intended, they are not inexcusable either. The decision to disqualify him was a need at that point.

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He tweeted, “An update from me – the umpire, Ben, has accepted my apology for my actions – he knows it was unintentional and I shanked the ball on the frame in frustration in the heat of the moment. We both move on. It was a high pressure situation and I should have reacted better.”

 

Marc Polmans was looking to make a deep run in Shanghai. His ranking would’ve improved and, who knows, it could’ve been even a turning point in his career. However, it has now become a major setback for the Australian, as 2023 is about to end soon.

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The aftermath of Marc’s actions

Some might say Marc got what he deserved. Although, his disqualification was not the only punishment he received. He will have to forfeit all the rankings points he earned. Even the prize money won in the tournament. However, he will not receive any additional penalties from the ATP Tour. In short, Marc faces consequences regarding his tournament results. At least, there won’t be any more damage to his career. Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams‘ former coach, would certainly breathe a sigh of relief as she has been an ardent supporter of the Aussie. A few days ago, she even gave him her support after his unfortunate disqualification.

Polmans is not the first player to have made these mistakes. World’s No. 1, Novak Djokovic, has been in the same boat before. Novak was disqualified from the 2020 US Open for unintentionally striking the line judge with a ball. Denis Shapovalov faced a similar issue and paid a $7000 fine for his mistake.

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Only time will tell if Marc Polmans can manage to come out of this. Players like Novak made many mistakes and are still doing fine. Ultimately, it’ll be his performance that will decide his spot in tennis.

WATCH THIS STORY: ‘Don’t Mind Getting A Bit Dirty’ – Aussie Star Nick Kyrgios Explores The ‘Roger Federer’ Connection To Wimbledon And His Nasty Desire To Win

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Written by:

Charrvi Singh

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Charrvi Singh is a Tennis Writer at EssentiallySports. Passionate about both psychology and sports, Charrvi brings a unique perspective to the world of sports journalism. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to delivering accurate information, she is dedicated to providing readers with insightful analyses and up-to-date coverage of the tennis world.
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Edited by:

Tony Thomas