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The tennis world had a near-constant supply of controversies over the past week. Daniil Medvedev's temper got the better of him during his match at the Dubai Tennis Championships, and he unleashed his fury on the chair umpire. Alexander Zverev turning a blind eye towards his post-match commitments after his loss at the Mexican Open was the source of another controversy.
Football star Gerard Pique came under fire for his suggested changes to the current tennis rules. Destanee Aiava's outburst was another talking point, while former tennis player Barbara Schett was worried about Leylah Fernandez's safety in the wake of the Elena Rybakina and Stefano Vukov drama.
With plenty of players making headlines for the wrong reasons, here's a quick rundown of the controversies of the past week:
#1. Daniil Medvedev accues the chair umpire of "double standards" in Dubai
Medvedev's quartefinal match against Tallon Griekspoor in Dubai took a turn for the worse after the former World No. 1 got into a back-and-forth with the chair umpire, Adel Nour. The Russian's mood swings and outbursts are no secrets, and he received a code violation from the umpire during the match.
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However, Medvedev didn't take kindly to the same, and accused the umpire of being harsh on him on account of his nationality. He argued with him about the same for a while as well.
"What is this, double standards against Russians?" Medvedev asked.
"Don't say that Daniil, I am very fair. I treat you all exactly the same," the umpire's response.
Medvedev apologized to the umpire after the match was over. He didn't mean to say those things but in the heat of the moment he couldn't control himself.
"We talked, I apologized. I said that, to be honest, I don’t remember everything I said, that’s true. And I’m not sure if there was something where I said something offensive, but if there was, I asked for forgiveness for it. I respect him as a judge. I won’t say what the problem was. Sometimes during a meeting, in the heat of the moment, things happen that seem unfair to you," Medvedev said.
Medvedev has previously had temper outbursts, however, he's often quick to realize his mistakes. He will now head to the States to participate in the Indian Wells Masters after his trek through the Middle East.
#2. Alexander Zverev's no-show at a press conference slammed by tennis insider
Zverev was the top seed at last week's Mexican Open in Acapulco. Following a comeback win over Matteo Arnaldi in his opener, he was upset by Learner Tien in straight sets in the second round. He didn't react kindly to the loss and stormed out of the venue despite committing to a press conference after the match.
Tennis insider Ben Rotherberg highlighted the German's action, and wasn't too pleased with it. He stated that he should've been fined for his unprofessional behavior.
"He was announced pre-match for a win-or-lose press conference but instead walked straight out of the ATP 500 Acapulco stadium and into a car to ride away into the night, while Tien was still on court."
This marks another year that Zverev left with a bitter taste in his mouth from Acapulco. He was defaulted out of the tournament after attacking the umpire's chair during his first-round doubles match in 2022, and lost in the first round last year to compatriot Daniel Atlmaier.
#3. Football star Gerard Pique under fire for his radical takes on tennis
Pique was recently a guest star on compatriot Iker Casillas' podcast, Bajo los Palos, (Between the Posts). The former spoke to the latter on a number of things, and soon the conversation moved towards tennis. Pique criticized a few aspects of the game, and gave his suggestions on how to make the game more interesting.
"Why do you serve twice in tennis? It's 30 extra seconds of a guy bouncing the ball. People don't want to see that. Why all the deuce-advantage, deuce-advantage in a five-minute game? Let's put in the golden ball. Tennis needs to evolve to adapt to the current speed and attract those young people who are tempted to watch a lot of other things like HBO or Netflix," Pique said. (translated from Spanish)
This did not go down well with the fans, who were quick to slam Pique. They also brought up his handling of the Davis Cup. The Spaniard changed the format of the tournament after his company got the rights to manage the tournament. While their partnership came to an end in 2023, the damage was done.
#4. Destanee Aiava's actions spark outrage and concern
Aiava's actions following her loss in the final of the W75 tournament in Prague generated a lot of controversy. She went down to Gabriela Knutson in the final, and lost her composure in a big way after the defeat. She channeled her frustrations by throwing a chair against the wall. She was later consoled by her fiance, who was also present there.
The incident caused a ton of discourse online, and Aiava took to social media to share her thoughts. She considered retirement in light of the constant hate messages after a loss and even deleted her account on X,
"I’ve made the executive decision to retire due to receiving hate msgs/comments and death threats after every single loss," Aiava wrote.
Aiava has previously struggled with mental health issues, so her behavior sparked concern among her fans and well-wishers. She did return to action a week later at another ITF event in Slovakia, and lost in the semifinals.
#5. Former tennis pro concerned for Leylah Fernandez in light of the Elena Rybakina-Stefano Vukov controversy
The controversy surrounding Rybakina and her coach Vukov has been the focal talking point on the women's circuit for a while now. The latter was banned by the WTA Tour for a year following an investigation into him. Accusations of mental abuse came to light during the same time, along with details of their romantic entanglement.
Former tennis player Barbara Schett was supportive of the WTA's actions, and stated the same during her interview with Kicker magazine. She further expressed concerns for Fernandez as well, and accused her father of behaving in an "insane" manner.
"I am also curious to see what happens to Leylah Fernandez's father because the way he treats his daughter is insane... It is terrible that something like this still exists today and is sometimes accepted," Schett said.
Fernandez, as well as her sister Bianca, have been coached by their father since they were kids. The sisters have never complained about their father's treatment. The family hasn't responded to Schett's comments as of yet.
