Tennis Random, Random (On Court)

[dryrunguy]

I wasn't aware Youzhny had joined his team...

[ponchi101]

..

I wasn't aware Youzhny had joined his team...

[ti-amie]

Another failed test?

[Owendonovan]

I wonder how much being against the war and not being able to express that weighs on some of these Russian players. More heavily on some it seems.

[ponchi101]

Andrey had meltdowns like this before the war. But your point is valid, especially since has was the sole player that voice a mild opinion.

[ti-amie]

Owen has a point. This particular meltdown is really disturbing though. If pressure is being put on him and his family how does he reverse what he has already said? If it's pressure he's put on himself it would be a good idea to take a complete break from tennis, no practices, nothing, and relax on a beach somewhere.

[mmmm8]

I wonder how much being against the war and not being able to express that weighs on some of these Russian players. More heavily on some it seems.

It's not just being able to say things, or just the war itself. What's happening, not only in Ukraine but in Russia domestically is very hard to watch for me as a Russian, and I don't have to go out there representing the country day in and day out like they do. I doubt that's the primary factor for his meltdown(s) - he's got to be frustrated by lagging behind Medvedev, etc., and now being stepped over by younger guys with his chances slipping away. But I'm sure the macro stuff does weigh a lot on the underlying mental health.

[meganfernandez]

Andrey had meltdowns like this before the war. But your point is valid, especially since has was the sole player that voice a mild opinion.

Where do we stand on the tour penalizing this kind of self-harm? Wertheim floated the idea of considering it "harm," which is in the rulebook. My instinct is to wildly disagree. The tour can do something off court but I don't think they can police what anyone does with their body (or mind) in a match. It's a slippery slope from that to expressing self-destructive thoughts, like yelling at oneself. Freedom has to trump the optics here. There are other options before they resort to penalizing anyone for what they do to their own body.

Or, could they say you can't strike yourself with your racket, except to knock something off your shoe? So if someone swipes their racket through the air in frustration and knicks their calf, is it a warning? If they smack their strings with an open palm, like an angry racket-clap, is that a violation? I don't want to go down this road.

This is also one player. It's not a pattern. Deal with it off court.

[ponchi101]

Why would you penalize somebody for that? I agree, makes no sense.
Hey, charge him for the band-aids. That should be the extent of it.

[Fastbackss]

Playing devil's advocate here...

One could make an argument that it reflects poorly on the game, not a good look towards kids, etc.

I am sure there is some catch-all language under which he could be fined.

[ponchi101]

But if was a knee jerk reaction...

[mmmm8]

I think it's fine to place a fine in the same way that racquet breaking or verbal abuse get a fine. It does reflect poorly on the game.

I don't think there should be point penalties for the reasons Megan mentioned.

[ashkor87]

since I am ignoring the Riyadh event, I am looking forward to the next year now..
Things I am looking forward to: the return of Bencic, the flowering of Andreeva and Noskova into complete, seasoned champions, the evolution of Sabalenka to a dominant champion (grand slam is a definite possibility!), the return of Rybakina, the continuing return of Muchova..
On the men's side, it is a bit early still but the one player I am looking out for is Machac - he seems to have the ability to challenge the big 2..

[ponchi101]

since I am ignoring the Riyadh event, I am looking forward to the next year now..
Things I am looking forward to: the return of Bencic, the flowering of Andreeva and Noskova into complete, seasoned champions, the evolution of Sabalenka to a dominant champion (grand slam is a definite possibility!), the return of Rybakina, the continuing return of Muchova..
On the men's side, it is a bit early still but the one player I am looking out for is Machac - he seems to have the ability to challenge the big 2..

The chance of anybody in the WTA (or the ATP) to complete a grand slam are in the 0 point several decimals percentage. Iga remains a high probability at RG, but a low probability at W. So, she takes that one and none other.
Bencic will return to the middle of the pack. She was not dominant before and, as Naomi has shown, coming back from motherhood is a titanic feat. Clijsters and Serena were exceptions, not rules. Look also at Svitolina.

[ashkor87]

I think Sabalenka has a nonzero chance- her game has worked well on all surfaces..she is the only one who has that quality right now. Doesn't follow that she will do it but she has the game. nobody else does.