Jonathan Overend didn’t mince his words after Novak Djokovic became the latest player at the Shanghai Masters to air his grievances at the umpire.
There seems to be something in the water in Shanghai as ATP players collectively and consistently subject tournament officials to horrific treatment.
With Frances Tiafoe hurling expletives at the umpire after a decision which, in his eyes, cost him a spot in the fourth-round, Stefanos Tsitsipas similarly unloaded on the official during his clash with Daniil Medvedev.
Players who consider it appropriate to hurl abuse at the officials seem to be in excess in Shanghai, with Novak Djokovic promptly adding his name to that list.
As he blasted the umpire for a minor rule change concerning ball-kids and towel’s, the embarrassing nature of this bizarre saga continued on its tragic trajectory.
It’s becoming a troubling, bitter trend among some of the sport’s most privileged and wealthiest stars.
Doted on by fans, ball-kids, and often umpires, Djokovic was rattled by a new towel rule and considered it appropriate to complain relentlessly to the umpire – someone who of course had no say in this rule change.
“They’re at it again,” Jonathan Overend lamented during the Sky Sports official coverage of Djokovic’s Shanghai Masters match against Roman Safiullin. “I mean, what is going on at this tournament with these players who just think they can moan about anything?
“He’s going on about the towels now. I mean, he’s lucky that they have implemented the rule that says the ball kids can now wait on the players with the sweaty towels. I just find that astonishing,” the pundit concluded in disbelief.
With Medvedev having had a go at an official, and Nick Kyrgios suggesting an umpire should be immediately fired after a mistake, the tensions have never been higher.
Overend later labelled the recent complainers ‘entitled’ with this saga looking unlikely to stop.
Clearly keen on maintaining every single negative stereotype about professional tennis players, Alexander Zverev making clear his ambition to fly the umpire-bashing flag.
After an incident in his third-round match against Tallon Griekspoor, the German said the officials were ‘completely’ ruining the tournament in an expletive-laden rant.
Despite replays showing that Zverev was completely wrong to raise any dispute, he also went on to suggest poor officiating had previously cost him in his two Grand Slam finals – No I’m not joking.
A serial choker and now the newly crowned King of Irony has confirmed he is still suffering complete career-denial.
Zverev’s consistent racquet throwing and on-court tantrums is only adding to a growing discourse that the top players are incredibly spoilt.
ATP’s top dogs seem committed to acting up and whinging, when in reality, it only proves to be an embarrassing consolidation of every bad trait people assume tennis players have.
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