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Inappropriate behaviors in tennis — a list
1) Circling a mark on clay with your racquet.
It's obnoxious behavior and can be used to wipe out the correct mark or to confuse people. Circular motions are proven to distract the human brain. If a player is asked to show where a mark is the player can point to it with the racquet or a foot.
2) Wearing clothing that's the color of the tennis ball, especially fluorescent versions.
This is done for cheating, period. Even if players wear this stuff because their clothing companies gave it to them it's cheating. A tennis player's brain focuses on this color, especially when it's moving. Most of the brain's processing is not conscious. Only around 10% of our brain's thinking is conscious thought.
3) Abusing bathroom breaks and injury timeouts.
This is particularly deplorable when 18-something players do it against old players. I've seen this with 18-19 year olds against late 30s and early 40s players — using long fake timeouts and breaks to get the old opponent stiff, cold, and nervous. The worst thing is that it almost always works.
4) Noise gamesmanship.
Screaming, moaning, shouting, etc. This is especially obvious, in terms of it being cheating, when players aren't noisy for all the shots they hit that require exertion and do it very selectively — often on the most important points.
5) People in the stands using thunder sticks, blowing loud horns, etc.
Saw this horribleness yesterday when trying to watch a Fed Cup match. Deplorable. The "car horns" between points are worse than blasting bits of bad canned music between games or points. This does not add excitement to matches. You can't manufacture excitement with irrelevant noisemaking.
6) Making that obnoxious windshield wiper towel gesture.
Tennis needs a less obnoxious gesture for a player asking for a towel, like a small wave at the helpers that's accompanied by a pleasant expression and a "thank you". Better yet, have players get their own towels. Are we really so impatient that we can't wait a few seconds? It's gross to see tennis kids have to handle sweaty towels, especially for rude players gesturing at them like they're slaves. Players can wear headbands and wristbands and change them between games if sweat is such a problem.
7) Getting more balls than you're going to serve with, tossing balls back after getting them or dropping them onto the ground
This behavior is appalling and needs to be banned. You should get exactly the number of balls you need and that's it. You don't need to sniff the balls, or massage them, or hunt for a lucky one from an identical can. Get a life!
8) Racquet breaking.
Automatic default. Racquet companies won't like that because they want recreational players to imitate them and break racquets but it's horrible behavior that shouldn't be tolerated.
9) Arguing over calls.
This is what Hawkeye is supposed to be for. Hawkeye should be on clay, too. Many of the worst moments in tennis have been about players arguing over calls. If you don't like the call you shake your head and them move on. The head shake registers your opinion so you can express yourself and moving on keeps the game on track. If there is some substantive change that can be made to avoid the issue in the future then suggest it to officials after the match. Suggest it in the press conference if you like.
10) Patting people after matches.
If they're your good friend it's one thing but, in general, condescending behaviors should not be part of the post-match display. Even friends may not want to be condescended to after a tough match. A handshake or a bow should suffice. Speaking of that, I don't see why handshakes should be expected in all of Asia. A bow would be a nice way to honor cultural difference. I suppose bowing is on the way out there because of Americanization but I think it's a preferable gesture than a handshake for a number of reasons.
11) Throwing your dirty clothing and towels into the stands after a match.
If you're going to throw your clothes or towels, throw laundered items. Better yet, don't throw things into the crowd in the first place. If you want memorabilia to be distributed then have it distributed randomly to the crowd by workers, so everyone in attendance has a shot at getting whatever it is. An autographed racquet cover would be a good thing to give out.
12) Not distributing random autographs after matches.
Why should autographs always be given at a certain spot, usually with kids and oversized tennis balls? There are plenty of people, including kids, elsewhere in the stands who would like an autograph. Make some cards with them prior to the match and then have them be distributed randomly by people working the event when it's over. That way there is a set number of them and players won't feel pressured to keep signing or to sign when they're not in the mood to. The annoying "gimme gimme" area won't be a thing after matches. Players won't have to walk by it and people won't have to see it.
13) Backward baseball caps.
Fashion obscenity.
I don't know who thinks this looks cool but it doesn't. It looks lame. The bill of a baseball cap is there for a purpose. It serves zero purpose turned around. If you want a cap and don't need a bill then get a cap without a bill. How difficult is that?
This isn't baseball. Maybe those caps look good backward on baseball players? I have no idea because I don't care about baseball. All I know I know is that it looks idiotic on tennis players.
14) The bye.
"Celebrity" players in a draw should still have to play all the rounds. If the first round is too much work for such players then make it a one set per match round for all the players.
15) Making players appear for shame conferences.
Losing players shouldn't have to appear before the press.
1) Circling a mark on clay with your racquet.
It's obnoxious behavior and can be used to wipe out the correct mark or to confuse people. Circular motions are proven to distract the human brain. If a player is asked to show where a mark is the player can point to it with the racquet or a foot.
2) Wearing clothing that's the color of the tennis ball, especially fluorescent versions.
This is done for cheating, period. Even if players wear this stuff because their clothing companies gave it to them it's cheating. A tennis player's brain focuses on this color, especially when it's moving. Most of the brain's processing is not conscious. Only around 10% of our brain's thinking is conscious thought.
3) Abusing bathroom breaks and injury timeouts.
This is particularly deplorable when 18-something players do it against old players. I've seen this with 18-19 year olds against late 30s and early 40s players — using long fake timeouts and breaks to get the old opponent stiff, cold, and nervous. The worst thing is that it almost always works.
4) Noise gamesmanship.
Screaming, moaning, shouting, etc. This is especially obvious, in terms of it being cheating, when players aren't noisy for all the shots they hit that require exertion and do it very selectively — often on the most important points.
5) People in the stands using thunder sticks, blowing loud horns, etc.
Saw this horribleness yesterday when trying to watch a Fed Cup match. Deplorable. The "car horns" between points are worse than blasting bits of bad canned music between games or points. This does not add excitement to matches. You can't manufacture excitement with irrelevant noisemaking.
6) Making that obnoxious windshield wiper towel gesture.
Tennis needs a less obnoxious gesture for a player asking for a towel, like a small wave at the helpers that's accompanied by a pleasant expression and a "thank you". Better yet, have players get their own towels. Are we really so impatient that we can't wait a few seconds? It's gross to see tennis kids have to handle sweaty towels, especially for rude players gesturing at them like they're slaves. Players can wear headbands and wristbands and change them between games if sweat is such a problem.
7) Getting more balls than you're going to serve with, tossing balls back after getting them or dropping them onto the ground
This behavior is appalling and needs to be banned. You should get exactly the number of balls you need and that's it. You don't need to sniff the balls, or massage them, or hunt for a lucky one from an identical can. Get a life!
8) Racquet breaking.
Automatic default. Racquet companies won't like that because they want recreational players to imitate them and break racquets but it's horrible behavior that shouldn't be tolerated.
9) Arguing over calls.
This is what Hawkeye is supposed to be for. Hawkeye should be on clay, too. Many of the worst moments in tennis have been about players arguing over calls. If you don't like the call you shake your head and them move on. The head shake registers your opinion so you can express yourself and moving on keeps the game on track. If there is some substantive change that can be made to avoid the issue in the future then suggest it to officials after the match. Suggest it in the press conference if you like.
10) Patting people after matches.
If they're your good friend it's one thing but, in general, condescending behaviors should not be part of the post-match display. Even friends may not want to be condescended to after a tough match. A handshake or a bow should suffice. Speaking of that, I don't see why handshakes should be expected in all of Asia. A bow would be a nice way to honor cultural difference. I suppose bowing is on the way out there because of Americanization but I think it's a preferable gesture than a handshake for a number of reasons.
11) Throwing your dirty clothing and towels into the stands after a match.
If you're going to throw your clothes or towels, throw laundered items. Better yet, don't throw things into the crowd in the first place. If you want memorabilia to be distributed then have it distributed randomly to the crowd by workers, so everyone in attendance has a shot at getting whatever it is. An autographed racquet cover would be a good thing to give out.
12) Not distributing random autographs after matches.
Why should autographs always be given at a certain spot, usually with kids and oversized tennis balls? There are plenty of people, including kids, elsewhere in the stands who would like an autograph. Make some cards with them prior to the match and then have them be distributed randomly by people working the event when it's over. That way there is a set number of them and players won't feel pressured to keep signing or to sign when they're not in the mood to. The annoying "gimme gimme" area won't be a thing after matches. Players won't have to walk by it and people won't have to see it.
13) Backward baseball caps.
Fashion obscenity.
I don't know who thinks this looks cool but it doesn't. It looks lame. The bill of a baseball cap is there for a purpose. It serves zero purpose turned around. If you want a cap and don't need a bill then get a cap without a bill. How difficult is that?
This isn't baseball. Maybe those caps look good backward on baseball players? I have no idea because I don't care about baseball. All I know I know is that it looks idiotic on tennis players.
14) The bye.
"Celebrity" players in a draw should still have to play all the rounds. If the first round is too much work for such players then make it a one set per match round for all the players.
15) Making players appear for shame conferences.
Losing players shouldn't have to appear before the press.
