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Ben Shelton and Chris Evert drew criticism for their "plays like a man" remark on Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova during the US Open. In other news, Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs received backlash for speculating on Elena Rybakina's US Open withdrawal.
Meanwhile, Andy Roddick slammed double standards as Alex Michelsen avoided a Novak Djokovic-like default after accidentally striking a spectator in Winston-Salem final. John McEnroe came under fire for reportedly frequently bringing up Jannik Sinner's doping case during Italian's US Open first-round match.
Also, Yulia Putintseva received flak for her disrespectful behavior towards a ball girl during her third-round match at the Flushing Meadows. Anna Kalinskaya challenged a double bounce call overruled by VAR during her third-round match against Beatriz Haddad Maia at the US Open.
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On that note, here's a recap of the top tennis controversies from last week:
Ben Shelton and Chris Evert criticized for 'plays like a man' comment on Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova at US Open
Ben Shelton faced backlash after comparing Coco Gauff's athletic abilities to those of a male athlete.
During a post-match press conference following his 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Dominic Thiem in the US Open first round, Shelton remarked that Gauff's athleticism was comparable to that of male players.
"She's charismatic, such a great athlete, so many qualities out there on the court that, you know, resemble a male player, the way that she moves, the way that she can defend," Ben Shelton said.
13th seed Shelton was knocked out from the New York Major by compatriot and 20th seed Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 in the third round. Defending champion Gauff, meanwhile, was eliminated by compatriot and 13th seed Emma Navarro 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the Round of 16.
Chris Evert, on the other hand, faced criticism for her remark that Karolina Muchova played like a “guy” during the latter’s 6-3, 7-6(5) win over Naomi Osaka in the second round.
While commentating for ESPN at the 2024 US Open, Evert compared Muchova's style to that of men's tennis players, drawing parallels between their service and volley techniques and those in women's tennis.
"She plays like a guy. She wants to play like a guy. The guys have bigger serves than the women, they have better volleys for the most part, they move a little bit better," Evert said.
Chris Evert has since apologized for her remarks on Muchova following a widespread backlash from tennis fans, Ons Jabeur, and Nick Kyrgios.
Karolina Muchova went on to reach the fourth round where she will take on fifth seed Jasmine Paolini on September 2. The winner of the match will face either Caroline Wozniacki or 22nd seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarterfinals.
Serena Williams' former coach came under fire for speculating on Elena Rybakina's US Open withdrawal
Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs faced criticism for speculating on Elena Rybakina's last-minute withdrawal before her second-round match at the US Open.
This latest injury withdrawal marks the eighth time the Kazakh player has pulled out from a high-profile event this year. Following Rybakina's unexpected exit, Stubbs suggested that the player might be dealing with something more serious than she has revealed.
"I just think there’s something more going on here. This is not a normal situation. I’ve seen her over the last couple of days. She hasn’t looked great," Stubbs said.
"I’ve seen her for years on the tour. I know what she looks like when she’s happy, when she’s healthy, when she’s playing well. When she’s playing well, on this surface, she’s one of if not the best player in the world. So what’s going on with her, I think it’s a lot more than we realize," she added.
Tennis fans later took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Stubbs for what they considered "gossipy" speculation about Rybakina's situation.
"Lots of gossipy speculation which is very unprofessional," a user wrote on X.
Andy Roddick condemns lack of default for Alex Michelsen after hitting spectator in Winston-Salem Final
Andy Roddick criticized the apparent double standards after Alex Michelsen avoided a Djokovic-like default despite accidentally hitting a spectator during his 0-6, 3-6 loss to 10th seed Lorenzo Sonego in the 2024 Winston-Salem Open final.
Frustrated after losing a point, Michelsen forcefully swung his racket, sending a ball into the stands and striking a spectator. Chair umpire Aurelie Tourte checked on the fan but chose not to default Michelsen. Interestingly, the same umpire had disqualified Djokovic for accidentally hitting a linesperson in the throat at the 2020 US Open.
Watch the video here:
Reacting to the incident, Roddick expressed that Michelsen should have faced the same consequences as Djokovic.
"I kinda agree. If you fire one hard and hit a fan, kinda the same to me as an umpire. Action the same. One just way more unlucky. Michelsen reacted like he thought he was toast," he commented.
Second seed Novak Djokovic recently wrapped up his US Open campaign with a 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6 loss to 28th seed Alexei Popyrin in the third round. With this loss, Djokovic went Slam-less this season for the first time since 2017.
John McEnroe received criticism for his comments on Jannik Sinner’s doping controversy at US Open
John McEnroe landed in hot water for repeatedly questioning the ruling in Jannik Sinner’s doping case during the Italian's 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win over Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of the US Open.
Last month, it was revealed that Sinner had tested positive twice for the steroid Clostebol earlier this year but avoided suspension after appeals, with the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) attributing the contamination to his physiotherapist. Despite being cleared, Sinner and his team were heavily criticized, with some accusing them of receiving preferential treatment.
McEnroe, who was part of ESPN’s broadcast team, brought up the doping controversy during the match, suggesting that it would remain a permanent stain on Sinner's career.
Top seed Jannik Sinner reached the Round of 16 in New York, where he will lock horns with 14th seed Tommy Paul on September 2. The winner of this match will take on either Nuno Borges or fifth-seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals.
Yulia Putintseva called out for disrespectful conduct in her US Open 3R loss
Yulia Putintseva came under fire for her controversial behavior with a ball girl during her 3-6, 4-6 loss to fifth seed Jasmine Paolini in the third round of the 2024 US Open.
As her frustration mounted while trailing during the match, Putintseva signaled for the balls but refused to catch them when the ball girl tossed them, opting instead to pick them up from the ground, which led to loud boos from the crowd.
Watch the video here:
Anna Kalinskaya protested double bounce call overturned by VAR in the US Open 3R defeat
Anna Kalinskaya protested a controversial double bounce which was not called during her 3-6, 1-6 loss to 22nd seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in the US Open third round.
Despite VAR showing that Haddad Maia had failed to return the ball before it bounced twice, the chair umpire upheld the point for the Brazilian. Kalinskaya was shocked and tried to appeal, but her protests were ignored, leaving her visibly disappointed.
Watch the video here:
Following her victory, Beatriz Haddad Maia advances to the Round of 16, where she will face Caroline Wozniacki. The winner of this match will take on either Karolina Muchova or fifth seed Jasmine Paolini in the quarterfinals.
