Tennis Controversies of the Week: Stefanos Tsitsipas censured amid questionable take over gender roles; ATP slammed as Jannik Sinner's rivals address his World No. 1 ascent, and more

Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas received backlash for his old-fashioned take on gender roles in society. In other news, The ATP came under fire for pushing players like Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, and Andrey Rublev to laud Jannik Sinner's ascent to World No. 1.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev was criticized for skipping a press conference at the Terra Wortman Open in Halle after a semifinal defeat to Hubert Hurkacz. USTA faced criticism for leaving out American doubles No. 1 Nicole Melichar-Martinez from the Paris Olympics amid high-profile withdrawals.

Also, Bill Maher sparked criticism for his statement about Serena Williams not experiencing racial bias during her career. Journalist faced backlash for interrogating Carlos Alcaraz about Ibiza vacation during Queen’s Club press conference.

On that note, here's a recap of the top controversies from last week:

Stefanos Tsitsipas faced criticism for his controversial take on gender roles

Stefanos Tsitsipas faced backlash for his outdated views on gender roles after he shared a video on the differences between men and women, highlighting the fundamental distinctions between the two primary genders. The video depicted men as protectors and providers and portrayed women as homemakers.

Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg also voiced his disapproval of Tsitsipas' recent comments on gender roles. Rothenberg called on the ATP to evaluate their players' perspectives on women.

"Between the many abuse accusations against players, Kyrgios fanboying Andrew Tate, and now whatever the heck this is, the ATP is long overdue a cultural reckoning about women, good lord."

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ATP called out for making tennis stars and rivals praise Jannik Sinner for his World No. 1 rise

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) faced online backlash for overly honoring Jannik Sinner's rise to World No. 1 by having his rivals praise his popularity. Sinner became World No. 1 earlier this month after Novak Djokovic withdrew from the French Open due to a knee injury.

To celebrate Sinner's achievement, the ATP had rivals like Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Christopher Eubanks, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev share their positive views on the Italian. These rivals all offered glowing reviews, calling Sinner a great guy and well-deserving of the top ranking.

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This didn't sit right with a section of tennis fans online, who felt the promotion was over the top.

Jannik Sinner recently won his maiden title on grass and14th overall at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle by defeating fifth seed and doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz 7-6(8), 7-6(2) in the final.

Alexander Zverev slammed for avoiding Halle press conference following SF loss

Alexander Zverev came under fire for canceling his press conference after his semifinal 7-6(2),6-2 loss to eventual runner-up Hubert Hurkacz at the 2024 Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.

Unwilling to answer questions after the defeat, Zverev opted to skip the press conference. The German’s decision did not sit well with tennis fans, who voiced their criticism on social media.

The USTA faced backlash for excluding Nicole Melichar-Martinez from the Paris Olympics amid top player withdrawals

The USTA received criticism for excluding American doubles No. 1 Nicole Melichar-Martinez from the US tennis team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, instead selecting lower-ranked players. Melichar-Martinez, who previously competed in the Tokyo Olympics, explained on social media that despite qualifying by rank, she was not nominated due to an ITF regulation requiring national body nomination.

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Additionally, Frances Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda, and Madison Keys were criticized for opting out of the Olympics, which falls between the grass and North American hardcourt swings, making surface changes challenging.

The US team includes ATP stars Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Chris Eubanks, Marcos Giron, Rajeev Ram, and Austin Krajicek, and WTA stars Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins, Emma Navarro, Desirae Krawczyk.

Bill Maher slammed for remarks about Serena Williams not facing racial bias during her career

Bill Maher sparked outrage online for suggesting tennis legend Serena Williams never faced racial bias throughout her career.

During his show "Real Time," Maher argued that people's love for Serena's talent transcended race, pointing to her immense popularity. This viewpoint came up in a discussion about WNBA player popularity, where Charlamagne Tha God highlighted the marketing disparity between Black and white athletes.

Maher downplayed their point, stating:

"Why was Serena such a big star? Because people like that. They didn't not watch her because she was Black, right?"

Tennis fans on social media slammed Maher for ignoring the very real instances of racism Serena and Venus Williams faced throughout their careers.

Journalist faced criticism for questioning Carlos Alcaraz about Ibiza vacation during Queen's Club presser

A journalist came under fire for questioning Carlos Alcaraz about his visit to nightclubs during his vacation in Ibiza at a press conference during the Cinch Championships.

The Spaniard had taken a holiday in Ibiza with his closest friends after winning his third Grand Slam title at the French Open. During a press conference before beginning his grasscourt campaign at Queen's, Alcaraz was asked: