Tennis controversies of the week: Caroline Wozniacki objects wildcards after doping ban amid Simona Halep's Miami return; commentator slammed for spreading gossip on Aryna Sabalenka after ex-boyfriend's death, and more

The tennis carnival marked another week of high-octane drama, as players entered the final phase of the hard-court swing in the Miami Open.

Danish veteran Caroline Wozniacki voiced her opinion on players receiving a wildcard instantly after a doping ban in light of Simona Halep's return. Tennis fans criticized commentator Craig Shapiro for his insensitive comments on Aryna Sabalenka's situation with Konstantin Koltsov.

Former World No. 1 Boris Becker questioned his exclusion from an elite list of players, who defended their Masters 1000 title before the age of 21, and Italian talent Lucia Bronzetti claimed foul play during her opening encounter in Miami, which went unnoticed.

On that note, let's take a look at the foremost controversies this week in the tennis world.

Tennis fans slam Craig Shapiro's comments on Aryna Sabalenka's relationship status before Konstantin Koltsov's demise

Aryna Sabalenka's ex-boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov's sudden demise in Miami stunned the tennis fraternity last week. It is speculated that the former ice-hockey player died by suicide and that the couple called off their relationship before the unfortunate incident.

American commentator Craig Shapiro revealed that Sabalenka had already started seeing someone else and Koltsov traveled to Miami to reconcile with her. The reporting of this news did not please fans on social media, as many believed Shapiro disrespected the Belarusian's privacy during a sensitive time in her life.

Here are the comments made by Shapiro on social media platform 'X'.

From multiple players, the boyfriend was no longer the boyfriend, Sabalenka was in Indian Wells with a new guy, she and the new guy flew with Dimitrov on a pj to Miami from the desert, seems as though Koltsov came to Miami to try sort it out…," tennis critic Craig Shapiro posted

Despite facing the flak, Shapiro still defended his comments and argued that Sabalenka's appearance at the Miami Open prompted his analysis of her situation.

"When the player chose to go to practice and stay in the tournament and declare press off limits without a statement it begged an explanation. Whether you like it or not," he commented further.

Here are some reactions from fans on Shapiro's discourteous comments.

Are those multiple players with us? this is disgusting, just creating a gossip from nothing, do you want likes? Pathetic," a fan commented.

Here is another tweet:

Casper Ruud complains about lack of player service at the Miami Open

World No. 8 Casper Ruud was involved in a heated argument with the chair umpire during his second round match at the Miami Open. The Norwegian lamented his disappointment at the poor service provided to players, with no fresh towels or cold water available at the Masters 1000 event.

"There's been no towels, no cold water, and just a plastic chair to change. This is a joke. And you know why it is, because the tournament is too cheap to put up something good for the players. The players come here every year to play, to put on a show in front of tens of thousands of people and then they treat us like this," Casper Ruud said.

He also acknowledged that the ordinary facilities in Miami wasn't the chair umpire's fault, but insisted on it being conveyed to the concerned authorities who could address the issue.

"Go to trailer for five minutes in a room with nothing and just a plastic chair to change. Maybe they can put some towels, maybe some cold water for the players' comfort. And it's not your fault. I'm just saying how bad it is," Casper Ruud said.

"No, I know you didn't know but I'm telling you now. And you have to take it on today to whoever is charge, Andrea, Massimo, whoever. Because every time the players complain, nothing happens," he added.

Irregular schedule updates at the Miami Open spark outrage among fans hoping to catch the action live

With rain pouring down heavily on the third day of the Miami Open, organizers were forced to delay the start of Day 4 on multiple occasions. Fans hoped to witness the likes of Iga Swiatek, Daniil Medvedev, and Coco Gauff live at the event, but their matches were rescheduled more than once due to unfavorable playing conditions.

Fans on social media platform 'x' urged the organizers in Miami to be clear with their updates.

Please be realistic. It's going to rain non-stop till 8 pm at least. This is utterly disrespectful towards players and spectators," one fan wrote.

Another fan urged the organizers in Miami to be considerate about people waiting around the stadium for long hours.

One supporter asked the organizers to call off play and hand over a refund to spectators waiting outside the arena.

Fans call out the ATP to pen down stricter rules after Jakub Menson nearly takes out the ball boy at the Miami Open

During the second round of the Miami Open qualifiers, Jakub Mensik threw his racquet in anger after losing the first set against Lukas Klein. The racquet almost caught the ball boy at the net which led to fans raising questions about Mensik's risky behavior.

Here are some reactions on the situation:

Another fan highlighted the Mensik should have received a default for his behavior.

Here is another reaction from a tennis fan.

Caroline Wozniacki on players receiving a wildcard after testing positive for doping after Simona Halep's return

Tennis news: Wozniacki at the Miami Open Presented by Itau 2024 - Day 6

In light of Simona Halep's return at the Miami Open, former Grand Slam champion Caroline Wozniacki has voiced her opinion on players being awarded a wildcard after testing positive for doping.

Despite having a good relationship with Halep, Wozniacki felt that players who dope shouldn't get special entry and that the sport should be clean

"Well, first of all, I've always liked Simona. We've always had a good relationship. I've been very outspoken in the past how I feel about doping and all of that," Wozniacki said in her post-match press conference.

"I think my view on doping is the same. I have always wanted a clean sport, fair for everybody. I think it's definitely still my opinion," she added.

The Dane also clarified that her comments weren't aimed at Halep, but for players who knowingly break the rules on the tennis circuit.

"Again, this is not directly at Simona, but if someone purposely cheats, if someone has tested positive for doping... I understand why a tournament wants a big star in the tournament, but it's my personal belief, and it's not a knock on anyone, but it's my personal belief that I don't think people should be awarded wild cards afterwards," Caroline Wozniacki said.

"If you want to come back, and it's been a mistake, I understand, you should work your way up from the bottom. That's my personal opinion upon things," she added.

Boris Becker questions exclusion from records involving Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal, Federer, Djokovic

After noticing a stat-based tweet made by the Indian Wells social media account, former World No. 1 Boris Becker questioned his exclusion from the list. The index highlighted players who successfully defended their Masters 1000 title before the age of 21. The tennis legend reminded the handles that he achieved the same feat during 1987 and 1988 and also questioned his exclusion from the list.

Becker's interaction can be seen below.

"And me …87/88," Becker corrected on X

"Hold on… Did you check my record before I turned 21 ?!?" the tennis legend questioned.

Becker captured six Masters 1000 titles before turning 21 – one each in Cincinnati, Canada, Tokyo, and Paris, and two in Indian Wells. The Masters 1000 series was earlier known as the Grand Prix Tennis circuit.

Tennis news: Becker highlights exclusion from record list

Lucia Bronzetti calls out the chair umpire for missing a body touch point during her R1 match at the Miami Open.

World No. 49 Lucia Bronzetti felt hard done after succumbing to a three-set loss against Taylor Townsend in the first round of the Miami Open. During a crucial point in the third set, Bronzetti highlighted that Townsend's racquet touched the ball, but neither the umpire nor the American acknowledged it.

The Italian shared a video on her social media account about the incident and lamented her frustration.

Don't know which is worse... the chair umpire or the player who denied it," wrote Bronzetti on Instagram.

Tennis news: Lucia Bronzetti on her Instagram Story

Here is a closer look of the incident during the match.