'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Prize money, points, prestige, there's a lot on the line when players step on to the court for a match. Most players are quite civil with each other, and some are even good friends with a few of their peers.
However, it's quite tough to keep one's emotions in check in such a high-stress environment on a constant basis. Tempers do fly occasionally, and with so much on the line, it's hard not to lose one's cool from time to time.
This season witnessed its fair share of drama as players unloaded on each other not only with their racquets but also their words. On that note, here's a look at five instances when players got into a spat with each other in 2024:
Trending
#5 Taylor Fritz silences Arthur Rinderknech with his Wimbledon win
Fritz and Rinderknech reignited their beef at this year's Wimbledon. It all started when the latter stated that the former would've less to whine about in London ahead of their match. This was a reference to their French Open 2023 encounter.
Fritz was subjected to boos and jeers when they crossed paths in Paris last year, and he responded in kind to the partisan crowd. The American beat Rinderknech in the second round at the All England Club in four sets, and they had a tense exchange when they met at the net.
Fritz later elaborated on what he said to Rinderknech, and stated that he just sarcastically wished him a nice journey back home.
"As soon as I saw it, the match was basically over. I'm a very chill person. I don't do anything that could rub people the wrong way, so when someone kind of just goes out of their way to take a shot at me, then I'm not just going to take it. It gave me the extra fire to win. When we shook hands, I just said have a nice flight home," Fritz said.
Fritz was all fired up after Rinderknech's pre-match comments, and let his racquet do the talking. He eventually lost to Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals after coming up short in a five-set thriller.
#4 Karen Khachanov loses his cool at Ugo Humbert's celebrations at the Paris Masters
The semifinal showdown between Khachanov and Humbert at the Paris Masters was a riveting affair for the first two sets, which the players split evenly. The Russian called for a medical time-out in the third set, and was visibly affected for the rest of the match and was beaten 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3.
Khachanov had some strong words for Humbert when they met at the net. He told him that his celebrations while he was injured didn't reflect too well on him, and urged him to be respectful to his opponents and mindful of the situation.
"I told him at the net to show more respect. He has no idea how to behave. I always fair play. I will congratulate him if he behaves like a normal person. That’s all I can say," Khachanov said (via Ziggo Sport).
"You can be with the crowd. I have no problem with that. Did you see me celebrate yesterday? Grigor was exhausted. He wasn’t injured at the end, he told me. Did you see me jumping and screaming 'Come on! Allez!' After every point.. do you think it’s okay?" Khachanov added.
Humbert later took to social media to explain his side of things, and stated that he even apologized to Khachanov for his actions and has nothing but respect for him and all of his opponents. He also added that he would be more mindful of his behavior in the future.
"I wanted to say a few words following the controversy after my semi-final against Karen. After the physio's intervention, I thought it was cramp, as I was cramping myself after 2 and a half hours of intense play. I've lost other matches this year in similar circumstances and this time I remained very focused on the goal. I'm sorry to see that this has been misunderstood and even worse described as a lack of fair play," Humbert wrote on his Instagram stories.
"I have contacted him personally to apologize. I have great respect for Karen and for all the opponents I've had to meet so far. This will serve as a lesson to me to act better in the future," he added.
Humbert's win over Khachanov helped him reach his maiden Masters 1000 final. He took on Alexander Zverev in the championship round, and went down to him in straight sets.
#3 Zheng Qinwen and Leylah Fernandez get into a spat at the Wuhan Open
Zheng and Fernandez got in a minor argument during their third-round match at the Wuhan Open. The Chinese player won the match 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, and later gave a quick rundown behind the cause of their back-and-forth.
"Actually, I was distracted in the first set by what [Fernandez's father] was saying because Leylah was on the other side. He was always talking, 'C'mon, c'mon,' before I started to return. That's why I think I lost the game when I was 30-Love because I was a little bit distracted," Zheng Qinwen said (translated from Chinese).
Zheng added that speaking up about what was bothering her helped her play better. She also stated that she didn't say anything disrespectful in particular, and just spoke about what bothered her.
"After that he continued doing. Plus the pain I had in the stomach, the fight against the opponent. One moment I cannot hold more. I said to him, You must to talk before I start to return?"
"But, I mean, after that actually I start to feel better because is what I have in my heart. I didn't say anything unrespectful. I just say what I feel without bad word," she added.
Following her win over Fernandez, Zheng went on to reach the final. She faced her nemesis Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash, and lost to her in three sets. It marked her third loss against her in 2024, and she would lose to her yet again at the WTA Finals.
#2 Emma Navarro brands Zheng Qinwen as overly competitive after their Olympic showdown
Zheng registered a 6-7 (7), 7-6 (4), 6-1 win over Navarro when they locked horns in the third round of the Paris Olympics. When they met at the net after the match, the American gave her rival a piece of her mind.
Navarro later explained what transpired between the two. She stated that Zheng was way too cut-throat, and that doesn't foster a sense of camaraderie in the locker room, and thus she doesn't respect her as a player because of it.
"I just told her [Zheng Qinwen] I didn't respect her as a competitor. I think she goes about things in a pretty cut-throat way. It makes for a locker room that doesn't have a lot of camaraderie, so it's tough to face an opponent like that, who I really don't respect," Navarro said [via Yahoo Sport].
Zheng, on her part, felt that this could've been resolved behind the scenes. If Navarro had an issue with her, then she could've made her aware of her fact so she could take necessary measures to rectify it.
"She [Emma Navarro] told me she doesn't know how I have a lot of fans. It looks like she's not happy with my behavior towards her. If she's not happy about my behavior, she can come and tell me. I would like to correct it to become a better player and a better person. I'm glad that she told me that. I will not consider it an attack because she lost the match," Zheng said.
Zheng didn't let this minor spat derail her Olympic quest, and she went on to claim the gold medal. This set the stage for an impressive second half of the season, including a runner-up finish at the WTA Finals and the Wuhan Open, and a title in Tokyo.
#1 Danielle Collins brands Iga Swiatek as "insincere" after their Olympic duel
Swiatek and Collins' quarterfinal contest at the Paris Olympics ended on an unfortunate note after the latter was forced to retire in the third set. When they met to shake hands after the end of their match, the American took her younger rival by surprise and called her insincere, and explained the same later on.
"I told Iga she didn't have to be insincere about my injury... There's a lot that happens on camera, and there are a lot of people with a ton of charisma and come out and are one way on camera and another way in the locker room. They can be the way that they are, I can accept that, and I don't need the fakeness," Collins on Swiatek.
Swiatek, meanwhile, was left stumped by Collins' accusation. She felt that she never did anything to her to warrant such a comment.
"Well, I won't argue about it, because I've never done anything nasty to her. I rather wanted to congratulate her on her successful career, because we all know that this is her last year on tour. Honestly, I don't know what she meant, because we didn't even have any interactions that could have caused her to say that to me," Swiatek on Collins.
Swiatek, who was the favorite to win the gold medal, eventually lost to Zheng in the semifinals. She still walked away with a medal around her neck, and beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova to win the bronze medal.
