From Civility to Spectacle: The Price of Tennis’ Passion

Let’s empower umpires to be stewards of respect, not just enforcers of rules.

Photo credit: iStock

By Daniel Gauss

First, Daniil Medvedev challenged the umpire’s call. Then he challenged the umpire’s manhood and claimed he was shaking. Then he seemed to encourage the crowd to become unruly, an uncommon sight in a sport where the crowd is expected to be as quiet as church mice. This, at the vaunted US Open.

It definitely frazzled his opponent Benjamin Bonzi, who had been playing the game of his life and was only one serve away from a relatively quick victory over a former number 1 ranked tennis star. Somehow, he regained his composure and (barely) won the match. He never expected and struggled to understand why the crowd had turned against an underdog playing his dream game. He also seemed to struggle to understand how a rival tennis player could encourage and take advantage of such a situation.

This meltdown was more extreme than most, but it was not an anomaly. Indeed, it could be argued it is a feature of the modern game. We have come to expect spectacles. Racquet-shattering fury, calculated insults and fiery court disputes are now woven into the very fabric of professional tennis. These displays are replayed, memed and debated, often…