Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal always behaved like sportsmen, but if no one makes a peep, it gets boring: Anke Huber
Tennis has always been an intense sport, but the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have showcased class in the way they have conducted themselves on the court. They have very few outbursts and have always remained respectful of their opponents.
However, there are players in the sport that have gotten carried away with their emotions during a match and can be seen throwing tantrums.
In an interview published by tennis365, former World No. 4 Anke Huber thinks players must be allowed to show emotion on the court and not everyone should be asked to conduct themselves the way Nadal and Federer have done.
"Later we had this phase with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who always behaved sportsman-like and very fairly, but if everyone just looks straight ahead and doesn’t make a peep, it gets boring. I don’t think emotions are bad but they mustn’t be insulting and must remain within certain limits, if it gets too much you shouldn’t take the boys apart right away," Huber said.
The likes of Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios have been involved in on-court outbursts of late and Huber admonished the German for his behavior at Acapulco. But she also provided context as to why he reacted the way he did.
"With Alexander Zverev in Acapulco it was extreme, nobody liked seeing that, in my eyes however this is not his true face, he had played until five in the morning the day before, sometimes you have to look at the circumstances because he was certainly physically drained, but that’s no excuse," Huber added.
Former player Anke Huber believes tennis would be boring without passionate outbursts from players such as Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios. tennis365.com/atp-tour/alexa…
Rafael Nadal rebukes Alexander Zverev's behavior
Given his conduct throughout his illustrious career and being one of the senior players on tour, Rafael Nadal was spot on in his criticism of Alexander Zverev after the German's outburst at Acapulco.
The World No. 4 had a violent outburst during a doubles match in Acapulco, with Zverev disagreeing with the chair umpire on a line call. After losing the match, the German went on to strike the umpire's chair with his racquet multiple times.
Nadal spoke about how players are setting examples for millions of kids, who are impressionable and will conduct themselves the way professional tennis players do.
"If we are not able to penalize these types of attitudes in a little stronger way, then we as players will feel stronger and stronger all the time. In this sport, we have to be a positive example, especially for the kids. This type of attitude must be stopped because there are many children looking at us. Sport must maintain positive values and we have to be aware that we are role models for millions of children," Nadal said.
Alexander Zverev hat sich auf Instagram zu den Vorfällen heute Morgen geäußert. https://t.co/YjZWsuC4pZ
Nick Kyrgios is another player famous for his outbursts on the court. He does not always see eye-to-eye with Rafael Nadal, but they respect each other's tennis and talent. Kyrgios faced Nadal at Indian Wells in the quarterfinals and lost in three sets. After losing the match, Kyrgios threw his racket and almost hit a ball boy.
Nadal for his part believed that Kyrgios' attitude in their match was positive, and that while he may disagree with some things with the Australian, he respects him and his tennis.
"I think he had a great attitude during the whole match in terms of fighting spirit, and of course he has his personality and his character. Sometimes he does things that I personally don't like, but I respect him because of different characters, different kind of points of view, and different kinds of education. I'm not saying that in a negative way at all, just different points of view."
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