Tennis officials need to lighten up
Columnist By Melanie Dinjaski, 12 Jan 2012 Melanie Dinjaski is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Andrea Petkovic, Melanie Dinjaski, Petko Dance, Tennis
Djokovic dancing on the court. AAP Images
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Earlier this week, it was revealed that tennis player Andrea Petkovic will no longer perform her popular “Petko Dance” having faced ongoing criticism. The issue highlights just one of the hypocritical and frustrating aspects of tennis that needs to be addressed.
What comes to mind when you think of winning celebrations in tennis? Pat Cash climbing the stands? Lleyton Hewitt with his imaginary lawn mower, that trademark “C’MON” and “The Vicht”? Roger Federer becoming a blubbering mess?
Or the grand slam staple of falling to your knees or laying flat on the court in disbelief?
The “Petko Dance” is just as unique and passionate as each of these celebrations, and if anything, it’s far more tame than some out there.
So why has Andrea Petkovic been attacked for it and forced to stop herself from a little boogie every now and then?
The reason she’s come under pressure to stop the dance is reportedly due to constant disapproval from US media and other players.
Though the dance has been accused of being “disrespectful” on several occasions fellow players have actually joined Petkovic in the jig. Even when the German lost against Agnieszka Radwanska in Beijing, she accepted a request to do the dance with her opponent.
Can’t say many other players would be so generous having lost in a final.
It all draws attention to the ongoing hypocrisy and uptight nature that still lingers in tennis from the old days of exclusivity and a “members only” attitude.
How can the stiff-lipped tradition and suffocating etiquette of tennis stand in the way of a little victory dance, yet somehow have no issue with Venus Williams’ nude pants or Nadal’s predisposition to scratch his butt?
How can US commentators get all high and mighty about a boppy number from a World No.10 player, yet froth at the mouth over Novak Djokovic’s player impersonations? And let’s not have anything more than a fairy clap in the stands please.
So much whinge over something so harmless!
Tennis needs to find a balance, a fair ground that allows the joys of tennis to be felt equally and shared appropriately by all in the modern day. And it needs to stop letting tradition stand in the way of a good time.
This is sport, after all.
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You can follow Melanie Dinjaski on Twitter @MelanieDinjaski.
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- Explore:
- Andrea Petkovic, Melanie Dinjaski, Petko Dance, Tennis
January 12th 2012 @ 8:37am
Chris said | January 12th 2012 @ 8:37am | Report comment
Tennis is going the way of pretty much every professional sport in the world. It seems ‘personality’ is a dirty word in officialdom.
January 12th 2012 @ 8:39am
Brett McKay said | January 12th 2012 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Obviously, they should just stick to the scripted autograph on the camera lens, Mel. And heaven help the first player to be so bold to ask for a different colour pen…
January 12th 2012 @ 9:07am
Mark Young said | January 12th 2012 @ 9:07am | Report comment
Spot on, my neck is hurting from vigorous agreeing with you!
How can they object to her dance, but let other player scream like banshees, or indeed put up with Serena behaving like a complete monster?
Jealousy I suspect….
January 12th 2012 @ 9:43am
Justin said | January 12th 2012 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Id prefer to see the jig than the Williams sisters jumping up and down with their big fakes smiles for 5mins at a time…
January 12th 2012 @ 9:35am
Rory said | January 12th 2012 @ 9:35am | Report comment
Not sure who’s actually being criticised here. The headline says “officials” but there doesn’t seem to be any mention of officials in the article, and it is certainly true that there isn’t an official stance against Petkovic. There is a mysterious “they” and a “tennis” that get a bit of a serve (scuse me) here and there. What is “tennis”? Players, officials, fans, spectators, tradition, courts, nets…Petkovic is “tennis” as much as a wimbledon official or anyone is “tennis”. I suspect that some stuffy old sports journo in the states wrote something critical of the dancing and now everyone’s a bit confused
January 12th 2012 @ 10:12am
Steve said | January 12th 2012 @ 10:12am | Report comment
So the Petko dance is frowned upon, yet Serena’s outbursts are only worth a paltry fine? One of these moves should be copied and the other should not.
Or does this smack of YOO ESS AYY parochialism?
January 12th 2012 @ 11:13am
Jimbo Jones said | January 12th 2012 @ 11:13am | Report comment
Disapproval from US media??? Didnt the yanks invent over the top celebrations? (And the dance isnt even over the top!)
January 12th 2012 @ 12:30pm
Aware said | January 12th 2012 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
Petkovic is a pretty girl with great legs and I for one want to see more of her steps. That would be preferable than seeing the women grunting, cursing and moping about like the blokes.
January 12th 2012 @ 1:11pm
mds1970 said | January 12th 2012 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
I’d rather have the Petko dance than the likes of Sharapova and Azarenka squealing constantly through their matches.
January 12th 2012 @ 1:27pm
AdamLudeke said | January 12th 2012 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
Honestly though, none of this would be an issue if Petkovic just kept on doing the dance and told the US media to get back in their box.
She should keep it up, it’s lighthearted and it’s good to see the players enjoying themselves.
Same applies to Djokovic’s “impersonations”.
January 12th 2012 @ 3:58pm
Johnno said | January 12th 2012 @ 3:58pm | Report comment
Political correctness gone over load, maybe but I have another theory maybe a conspiricay theory.
Tennis officials like this behaviour, they just get the media to sell it as a scandal or shocking behaviour to draw in publicity and interest, like a game, in order to selll more tickets.
A game of youth VS the establishment, and this pretending to disapprove is nothing more than a delibrate publicity stunt by tennis offiicals.
If you remember a few australian opens ago with the Venus Williams commando(no underwear) style underpants she wore at the Australian open under her tennis dress.
The TV offiicals and the viewers at home could not tell if she was wearing no underwear, and they media made a big story of that.
I have a conspiricay theory that these things are delibrate publicity stunts by tennis officials to sell more tickets, in other words that leads to making more money for them.