PARIS (AP) 鈥� The tennis season is with the underway. That means that can鈥檛 be far off.
In a sport known for its mental challenges, it鈥檚 part of the game to see top players lose their cool on court. In recent weeks, Daniil Medvedev and Daniel Altmaier have each had memorable, racket-mangling meltdowns on Europe’s clay courts.
But it’s nothing new, as anyone who remembers watching decades back can attest to.
So what goes on inside players’ heads that results in temper tantrums before packed stadiums?
鈥淚t鈥檚 not about tennis,鈥� said former top-five player Andrey Rublev, who is known for his on-court anger 鈥� he sometimes bloodies his hands and body when he punches his racket strings and to get the frustration out.
鈥淎ll (people) have this situation in life and you just lose it,鈥� added the 13th-ranked Rublev, whose coach, Marat Safin, said he broke 1,055 rackets during his playing days.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be tennis. It鈥檚 just the thing (in) tennis you are alone and they are watching you,” Rublev said. “Some people face it better, some let those emotions kind of control you. I鈥檓 one of those guys who let those emotions to take over me.鈥�
Medvedev, a fellow Russian, is the same way.
Medvedev smashed his racket on the red clay seven successive times midway through an unusually poor performance from the former No. 1 player at the start of the clay-court season 鈥� a 6-0, 6-0 鈥渄ouble-bagel鈥� defeat to Matteo Berrettini at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Medvedev finished off his angry display by depositing his mangled frame in a court-side trash bin.
鈥淲hen I broke the racket, I kind of didn鈥檛 (want to),鈥� Medvedev said. 鈥淯sually I do want to do it when I do it. There I didn鈥檛 want to. But I was like, 鈥榊ou know, it鈥檚 6-0, 6-0. I cannot win one point.鈥� Maybe sometimes this can give you a boost. And it didn鈥檛.鈥�
Last week, German player Altmaier slammed his racket on the clay and then when his frustration boiled over during a tournament in Hamburg. He was fortunate that no spectators got injured because of his behavior.
Federer, Serena and Djokovic had their moments
Even Roger Federer was known for smashing his racket as a junior player. Then he cleaned up his act and become one of the classiest 鈥� and most successful 鈥� players in tennis history.
At the 2009 U.S. Open, Serena Williams was penalized for shouting and cursing at a line judge who called a foot fault.
In 2020, for accidentally hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball 鈥� resulting in a stunning end to his 29-match winning streak.
Sabalenka’s emotions ‘were destroying my game鈥�
has also been known to lose her cool. Although she’s improved in that department lately.
鈥淢y emotions were destroying my game and my level was dropping dramatically when I would start overreacting on everything,鈥� Sabalenka said. 鈥淎t the same time, my opponents would see that and they would step in and play better.鈥�
Sabalenka said keeping her emotions in check has been 鈥渁 huge improvement over the years in my career and really helped me to level up.鈥�
When Coco Gauff鈥檚 off-court moment at the Australian Open was documented on camera, it opened up a debate about players鈥� privacy.
Fifth-ranked Jessica Pegula also tends to keep her racket-smashing for off-court moments.
鈥淚 go find some place that鈥檚 like maybe not near people and then I can break a racket,鈥� Pegula said.
On court, Pegula is able to keep her emotions in check.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a super emotional person in general, so I think for me to like get to that point is a lot, but I think it鈥檚 entertaining,鈥� Pegula said. 鈥淪ometimes I wish I could kind of wear my heart on my sleeve a little bit more and show more emotion, but it鈥檚 not exactly my persona.鈥�
Naomi Osaka curses quietly
is another player known for keeping a steady demeanor on court. It wasn鈥檛 always that way, though.
鈥淗onestly, I had a pretty bad attitude when I was younger and my dad had a stern talk to me about it,鈥� Osaka said.
Osaka now releases her anger so quietly that it鈥檚 hardly noticeable.
鈥淚 actually do curse a lot on the court,鈥� Osaka said. 鈥淚 say it so softly you can鈥檛 hear it and I鈥檓 really glad, because I don鈥檛 want to get fined for that.鈥�
Sorana Cirstea, the 36-year-old who this week became the oldest player to make her debut in the top 20, had a simple explanation for all the displays of emotion.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a mental sport. Also, to be able to sustain that mentality for three long hours with all the adrenaline and the pressure, sometimes you don鈥檛 handle it the best,鈥� Cirstea said. 鈥淲e are human.鈥�
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