'%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,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMzZCl//xAAfEAACAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBQAGEyEREkH/2gAIAQEAAT8AqYeXObUNvI21meW+aw966NxrxiLr4D4A1aed7MrBMeoZyQopr1r/xAAZEQACAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgAEEWH/2gAIAQIBAT8AtKFwDs//xAAdEQABAgcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADAAECBBESEyHB/9oACAEDAQE/ABzJc5IK6a3q/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios faced criticism over his constant taunts aimed at Jannik Sinner amid the doping scandal. In other news, Alex Michelsen landed in hot water after escaping Novak Djokovic-like disqualification after hitting a spectator in frustration in the Winston-Salem final.
Meanwhile, Elina Svitolina drew flak for refusing a handshake with the Russian-born Armenian tennis player Elina Avanesyan at the Monterrey Open. Lindsay Davenport called out for suggesting monitoring of Iga Swiatek's bathroom breaks.
Also, Chris Evert received backlash for her remarks regarding Naomi Osaka’s mindset ahead of the US Open.
On that note, here's the recap of the top controversies from last week:
Nick Kyrgios received backlash for his constant jibes at Jannik Sinner amid doping row
Nick Kyrgios has been under scrutiny for his incessant taunts at Jannik Sinner in the wake of a doping scandal. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Sinner had tested positive for a prohibited substance, Clostebol, in March. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) considered it an accidental exposure and only imposed a minor ranking point penalty and a fine.
Trending
Some in the tennis community still believe Sinner received favorable treatment and have questioned his Australian Open win. On his 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast, the American argued that players are tested at every Major, making it unlikely Sinner was doping during the Australian Open.
Kyrgios dismissed Roddick's statement as "ridiculous," suggesting it was easy to flush drugs from one's system.
"Do you understand how quickly this stuff exits your system? Cream, gummies literally hours. Ridiculous statement."
Tennis fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their disapproval of Kyrgios’ continuous mockery of the Italian player.
Alex Michelsen came under fire for escaping Novak Djokovic-like default after hitting a spectator in the Winston-Salem final
Alex Michelsen faced criticism after escaping a Novak Djokovic-like default after accidentally hitting a spectator during his 0-6, 3-6 loss to the 10th seed Lorenzo Sonego in the final of the 2024 Winston-Salem Open.
During the match, a frustrated Michelsen forcefully swung his racket after losing a point, sending a ball into the stands and hitting a spectator. Chair umpire Aurelie Tourte checked on the fan but did not default Michelsen. Notably, the same umpire had disqualified Djokovic for accidentally hitting a linesperson at the 2020 US Open.
Watch the video here:
The decision to not default Michelsen ignited outrage among tennis fans, who vented their frustration on social media.
Both Novak Djokovic and Alex Michelson will kick off their US Open campaign with their respective first-round matches against Radu Albolt and Eliot Spizzirri.
Elina Svitolina faced criticism for not shaking hands with Russian-born Armenian tennis player Elina Avanesyan in the Monterrey Open
Elina Svitolina faced backlash for not shaking hands with Russian-born Armenian tennis player Elina Avanesyan following her 6-4, 6-3 win in the Round of 16 at the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey.
The Ukrainian has maintained a no-handshake policy with Russian and Belarusian players as a stance against the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Avanesyan had recently switched her nationality to Armenian in August.
Watch the video here:
Tennis fans expressed their disapproval of Svitolina's behavior on X (formerly Twitter).
Fifth seed Elina Svitolina went on to lose 4-6, 4-6 against sixth seed Linda Noskova in the quarterfinal. Both Svitolina and Avanesyan will now participate in the US Open, where they will take on Maria Lourdes Carle and Beatriz Haddad Maia in their respective first-round matches.
Lindsay Davenport drew criticism for comments on "patrolling" Iga Swiatek’s bathroom breaks
Former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport has faced criticism for her remarks about Iga Swiatek’s use of bathroom breaks during matches. Davenport's comments followed Swiatek's decision to take a bathroom break after losing the first set in her Cincinnati Open semifinal against Aryna Sabalenka. Despite the break, Swiatek couldn't turn the match around, with Sabalenka ultimately winning 6-3, 6-3.
On the Tennis Channel, Davenport criticized Swiatek for what she called a "bad habit" of taking bathroom breaks after losing a set, suggesting that such practices should be "patrolled."
"It’s a bad habit that probably should start to be patrolled a little bit by the powers that be. Lose a set you leave the court…never used to be like that. But it happens every time," Davenport said.
Top seed Iga Swiatek will take on Kamilla Rakhimova in the first round at the US Open.
Tennis legend Chris Evert drew flak for her comments regarding Naomi Osaka’s mentality ahead of US Open
Chris Evert faced criticism for her remarks about Naomi Osaka being "too happy" ahead of the 2024 US Open.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Evert voiced concerns over Osaka's unimpressive performance leading up to the tournament. While she believes Osaka has the talent to excel at Flushing Meadows, Evert noted that success in a Grand Slam demands more than just skill.
"I know she has the game, but it takes more than the game. It takes a lot of confidence and a lot of focus. We’ll see. She’s in a different part of her life right now where it seems she’s so calm and she’s so relaxed and happy and peaceful," Evert said.
Evert also suggested that Osaka might need to rethink her mental approach to compete for prestigious titles again.
"The mental problems haven’t really affected her. She has a child, which she is madly in love with. Sometimes when you are too happy, that can’t always be good either, I don’t know, for us to be intense and fierce," she added.
Naomi Osaka will face 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the New York Major on August 26.
