Can you relate with any of these 4 kinds of Tennis players?
There are different kinds of tennis players with varieties in playing styles and attitudes. While the playing style of a tennis pro is keenly scrutinized by experts and pundits who like to predict the future of a rising star, the player’s attitude is more likely to have a direct and discernible bearing on the outcome.
Aussie star Nick Kyrgios will miss the rest of the 2016 season after being suspended by the men’s tour and fined an additional $25,000 on Monday for ”tanking” a match and insulting fans.
Which brings us to the first and most annoying kind of player, the hothead.
1) Hothead
Popular players: Nick Kyrgios/John McEnroe/David Nalbandian/Marat Safin
The ATP sanctioned Kyrgios for ”conduct contrary to the integrity of the game” following an investigation into his behavior during a second-round loss to German qualifier Mischa Zverev last week at the Shanghai Masters.
Nick’s erratic behavior has gotten so out of hand that his Wikipedia page has a separate section titled “Controversies”
If you missed his despicable behavior at Shanghai, we’ve got you covered:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xWIipJVKac
Kyrgios even went on to defend his actions and refused to see a sports psychologist as per ATP requirements and said that he doesn’t owe the fans, who pay his salary, anything.
You thought John McEnroe was famous for his outbursts? The younger generation really are breaking new ground with their extraordinary and somehow justifiable attitude.
But for those of you who weren’t fortunate enough to watch John McEnroe tear umpires apart, here’s a little something to chew upon.
2) Passionate and emotional types (Fan Favourites):
Popular players: Roger Federer/J.M. Del Potro/Rafael Nadal
There’s a saying in tennis, “God wanted to play tennis; so he sent Roger Federer.” They couldn’t have said it any better. If you don’t want to take my word for it, check out what his peers and critics have to say about him.
Roger Federer needs no introduction. He’s elegance personified and universally adored by his peers and legions of fans. Unless you’re Srdjan Djokovic, you’d have no issue with how Roger Federer behaves on and off court. If anything, he might have won you over purely based on his attitude rather than his success.
Federer has won all the ATP Fan Favourite Awards (since 2003) and all but one (2010 when it went to Rafael Nadal) Stefan Edberg Spotsmanship Awards that you probably remember. And that’s saying something.
He might look like Darth Vader going about his business closing out service games with the ruthlessness and efficiency of a purpose built machine but Federer gets intensely emotional on the big moments. It’s one of the reasons fans love him and the primary reason he keeps playing at age 35 having achieved pretty much everything anyone could hope for.
Another priceless reaction video where players are made aware of Federer’s “retirement”
Rafa Nadal. If his name ever were to be included in a dictionary, its synonyms must be fighter, gladiator, matador and above all indefatigable warrior and comeback king. Having staged rousing comebacks from long injury layoffs on multiple occasions, the Spaniard has won over the devotion and love of Rafanatics the world over.
The recent comeback of Del Potro has been the most talked about and written about tennis topic in recent months. In the few months he’s been back on tour, Del Potro has already beaten Djokovic, Nadal, Thiem, and won over the hearts of millions of fans all over the world. He is called “the Gentle Giant” by some of his fans and for very good reason.
3) Cool until they lose it
Popular players: Novak Djokovic/Andy Murray/David Nalbandian
The players on this list are much more refined and complicated than outright hotheads. They are generally well known as funny and amicable until they completely lose their cool and go off on rampaging outbursts coinciding with negative results.
Novak Djokovic has been delivering a masterclass in this category in recent months with his antics ranging from ripping t-shirts to smashing rackets to screaming at ball boys to shoving umpires. What’s amazing that all of this happened when he was World No.1 and dominating the sport.
Footage from Novak’s loss to Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain last week:
While most players would be at their best moods when they are successful, Djokovic is quite the exception. And a close second behind him is his long time friend and rival Andy Murray. The matches between these two are emotional rollercoasters, although it’s Djokovic who usually has the last laugh.
David Nalbandian became famous for hitting a line judge with his racket and causing him an injury that drew blood, getting himself disqualified from the match in the process. But that wasn’t the first time Nalbandian lost his cool.
In many of his humiliating losses to Federer back in his heyday and some heated Davis Cup encounters when he was playing for Argentina, Nalbandian is often seen shouting at the crowd and pointing fingers to his players’ box.
4) Don’t care/Don’t give a damn
Popular players: Gael Monfils
This category is pretty self-explanatory. Just enjoy the clips and make you what of them.
Check out: Top 5 Tennis’ Fairytale Romances
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