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Nick Kyrgios, Andy Roddick and other current and former tennis players were involved in a heated debate with a pickleball pro, while Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka was allegedly targeted amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
While the WTA came under fire for their decision to hold year-end finals in Saudi Arabia, Yannick Hanfmann drew criticism for his stance on compatriot Alexander Zverev's ATP council seat amid a domestic violence trial.
Meanwhile, Chair umpire Christian Rask sparked controversy over his controversial call during the Estoril Open quarterfinal match between Cristian Garin and Nuno Borges. ATP faced criticism for proposed doubles rule adjustments geared towards speeding up the play.
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On that note, here's a recap of top tennis controversies from last week:
Nick Kyrgios, Andy Roddick & others tennis stars involved in heated debate with pickleball player
Pickleball player Christian Alshon’s claim on social media that pickleball is tougher than tennis drew criticism from tennis professionals. Alshon argued that pickleball requires more skill and quick reflexes, adding to the ongoing debate about which racket sport is superior.
Tennis players like Andy Roddick, Nick Kyrgios, and others dismissed his views and defended tennis.
"Yeah. Let’s hide under the bed after this statement hahahaha bro get me the best pickleball player and compare his talent to Roger Federer. Wild tweet, wild thought. Delete right now. I love pickle. But you had too many tequilas," Nick Kyrgios tweeted.
The 2003 US Open champion Roddick even issued a challenge related to rankings in both sports.
"It’s pretty hard to say one of the most ridiculous things on Twitter in a given day. Tell you what. If anyone pickle person ever ranks higher in tennis than what Sock will be at end of this year in his new paid pickle hobby, I’ll commentate a pickle match standing on my head. This ain’t a real discussion. Fun game. Dumb conversation," Andy Roddick tweeted.
Other tennis figures like James Blake, Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs, Jessica Pegula, Christopher Eubanks, and Corentin Moutet also chimed on in the discussion.
Aryna Sabalenka allegedly targeted amid Russia-Ukraine war
Aryna Sabalenka faced backlash on social media for liking posts by Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova, a Belarusian long jumper alleged to support Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
A Ukrainian sports page criticized Sabalenka for endorsing over ten of Mironchyk-Ivanova's posts, citing the long jumper's association with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and her content about a Belarusian TV channel.
However, fans vehemently disapproved of the criticism aimed at Sabalenka and quickly came to her defense on social media platforms.
WTA faced criticism for choosing Saudi Arabia as venue for year-end finals
Saudi Arabia will be hosting the WTA Finals in Riyadh until 2026, featuring total prize money of $15.25 million, a steep 51% increase from last year's $9 million in Cancun, Mexico.
“Bringing the WTA Finals to Riyadh is an exciting new opportunity for us and a positive step for the long-term growth of women’s tennis as a global and inclusive sport.
"We’ve been impressed by the commitment shown by the Saudi Tennis Federation to grow the sport at all levels, and we have no doubt that players and fans can look forward to a world-class event in Riyadh as the finale to the 2024, 2025 and 2026 seasons," WTA chairman Steve Simon said in a statement during the announcement.
The announcement has not been well-received by fans on social media, who have criticized the WTA for its involvement in what they term Saudi Arabia’s "sportswashing."
Yannick Hanfmann faces backlash for his take on Alexander Zverev's ATP Council seat amid domestic violence trial
Yannick Hanfmann faced criticism for his views on Alexander Zverev's ATP Player Advisory Council (PAC) seat amid an upcoming domestic violence trial. Zverev, accused by his ex-partner Brenda Patea, is set for trial this May.
When asked about Zverev's role on the council, Hanfmann stated that the trial’s outcome should determine German's innocence or guilt and influence his council membership.
"He [Alexander Zverev] has a trial in May. And I think like once he gets through that trial, whatever verdict may come out , I think that we have to respect that one. That’s a normal procedure… to wait if he’s guilty or not guilty," Hanfmann said.
"I don’t know any of the subject matter. I know what he’s accused of, but I don’t know if he’s guilty or not. So let’s hopefully make them figure it out. And then if he’s innocent, we don’t have to talk about it anymore and we move on. If he’s guilty, we’ll probably have to remove him from the Council. And the ATP will have to do something," the 32-year-old said.
Hanfmann’s remarks have sparked a wave of anger among tennis fans, who took to social media to air their grievances.
Chair umpire under fire for disputed call during Estoril Open QF clash between Cristian Garin and Nuno Borges
A dispute emerged between Nuno Borges and Cristian Garin in their 2024 Estoril Open quarterfinal match. It happened during the second set, when Borges was all set to strike first during Garin's service game at 2-3.
Someone from the crowd shouted "out" on a shot from Garin that hit the baseline during the rally. Borges paused before returning the ball upon which Garin then hit the ball wide.
The umpire awarded the point to Garin instead of allowing a replay, prompting Borges to protest and request the supervisor. Despite Borges’ objections, the umpire’s decision stood, and Garin went on to win the match with a score of 6-2, 7-6(3).
Tennis fans were shocked by the decision and criticized the chair umpire's call on social media.
ATP faces backlash for the proposed rules for doubles aimed at speeding up the game
ATP faced flak over proposed rule changes set to be tested in the doubles draw at the upcoming Madrid Open. The potential adjustments included eliminating sit-downs in the first set and shortening the serve clock after brief rallies.
There will also be a redesigned entry system for doubles events, favoring singles players over doubles specialists. If approved, this new format would allocate 13 of the 32 slots in doubles to singles pairings, with singles players granted a later entry date compared to dedicated doubles teams.
Tennis fans on social media criticized the ATP’s proposed rule changes and called it a deliberate attempt to phase out doubles tennis players.
