Unsportsmanlike Conduct in Tennis: The Lowest Moments to Taint the Sport in 2023

The racket game is a good mix of prowess, athleticism, and strategy that has captivated more than one billion fans all across the globe. Players of high caliber have put on some high-octane performances on the court, making tennis one of the most watched sports. However, in addition to some exciting tennis action, there have also been moments of controversy and drama on the court.

Whether it was a Grand Slam or a Masters 1000-category event, the tennis community has lately witnessed some unsportsmanlike conduct during competitive matches. So let’s check out some of the lowest moments in tennis that have tainted one of the most popular sports during this season.

1. Miyu Kato’s disqualification at the French Open

The Japanese tennis star was teamed up with her partner, Aldila Sutjiadi, as the duo performed brilliantly to reach the third round of the grass-court major event. However, a contentious incident happened during their third matchup of the doubles event when Kato lobbed a ball after picking it up at the net.

The ball accidentally hit the ballgirl at the other end of the court, due to which she burst into tears and was in visible discomfort. Kato and Sutjiadi were initially given a warning; however, they were later disqualified from the event after their opponents Mari Bouzkova and Sorribes Tormo argued with the umpire’s decision. In addition to being defaulted from the match, the 29-year-old was also stripped of her ranking points.

2. Shuai Zhang’s panic attack after a controversial decision

Another similar incident was witnessed at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which the tennis community deemed a new low for sportsmanship in tennis. The matchup between Shuai Zhang and her unseeded Hungarian opponent, Amarissa Toth, was tied at five games when the Chinese tennis star saw her crosscourt forehand being called out by the umpire.

As the ball clearly struck a part of the line, the 34-year-old objected to the call and demanded that a tournament supervisor be brought in to handle the situation. While all this drama was going on, her opponent Toth was entirely unsympathetic, as she went to wipe the mark despite Zhang shouting,

“Wait, wait, keep the mark”. The Chinese player was further booed by the spectators before she withdrew from the controversial match due to a panic attack.

3. Cameron Norrie Hitting Novak Djokovic with an overhead at the Italian Open

In the fourth round of the Italian Open, the 24-time singles Grand Slam champion breezed past Cameron Norrie in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. But aside from Novak Djokovic‘s commanding victory in Rome, the audience was drawn to a contentious moment. During the fourth game of the second set, the Brit hit, probably unintentionally, Novak Djokovic with an overhead after receiving a loose shot from him.

After smashing into the left calf of the Serb, the 28-year-old immediately apologized to him for his overhead shot, which seemed unintentional. But the current world No. 1 player seemed to be unimpressed with Norrie’s apology, as he gave him a fierce staredown before turning to walk away.

4. A fan directing ‘Hitler chant’ at Alexander Zverev at the US Open

The five-set US Open thriller, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, between  Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner was disrupted by a spectator. The German player was serving at 2-2 in the fourth set when he complained to chair umpire James Keothavong about a fan who had used “the most famous Hitler phrase there is” during the match.

Following the ATP player’s complaints, the security personnel had to intervene to identify the man, and they eventually ejected him from the stadium. Speaking about the disparaging remarks directed at him, Zverev said, “He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is in this world. It’s unacceptable. This is unbelievable.”

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What do you think of the contentious moments on the court during this season? Let us know in the comments section.

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