The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Are tennis players a protected species?

Eugenie Bouchard copped a zinger in the Netherlands. (AFP PHOTO / MANAN VATSYAYANA)
Roar Rookie
25th May, 2015
26

Tennis players appear to be either very easily distracted or quick to blame outside factors for a poor performance.

Be it jibes from the crowd, shrieking from an opponent or the elements themselves, tennis players are given more protection than other athletes in high-level sports.

The issue of heat has played out in the media in the past, with temperatures regularly hitting well over 40 degrees on court.

While this is a less-than-ideal situation in a five-hour marathon, this strikes me as another example of tennis players not being forced to show the fortitude and mental toughness required in elite sport.

Test cricket immediately springs to mind. A great example is the famous Madras Test between Australia and India in 1985. The teams played for five days, eight hours a day, in the stifling subcontinent heat. Throw in daily bouts of ‘Delhi belly’ and the boisterous Madras crowds to boot.

One memorable aspect was the performance of mercurial Australian Greg Matthews. With his fellow players almost dying of heatstroke, Matthews chose to play the entire Test in a thick wool sweater and was man of the match! It can indeed be mind over matter in even the most hostile of conditions.

The incessant complaining from the tennis elite does not stop there however. Another example is the funeral-like silence that must be adhered to by the crowds. While I acknowledge this is an edict of the sport written into its long and rich history, should this mean fans who have paid very good money to attend not be allowed to shout, jeer and enjoy themselves?

Imagine the mental torture of an MMA fighter being pummelled in the cage, or taking a penalty in front of 100,000 fans with the result of a FIFA World Cup at your feet – these sports don’t deny the crowd from participating, and players who blame the elements to explain away a loss are justifiably ridiculed for it.

Advertisement

While some will claim tennis is an individual sport that needs high levels of concentration, have you watched a darts tournament recently? The added pressure of the surrounding environments make it far more difficult to concentrate in darts than the comfortable silence of a tennis arena.

close