Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova was bundled out of the Australian Open in straight sets at the hands of Paula Badosa – but before departing the tournament, the Russian veteran had surely the strangest criticism of the Melbourne Park fans yet.
Complaints have flown in thick and fast from players over several controversial changes made to the tournament to improve the experience for those in the stands.
Australian Jordan Thompson claimed it was the ‘wokest tournament ever’ in response to fans now being allowed to move in and out of stadiums in between points and games, rather than wait until the change of ends; while Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech claimed the new ‘Courtside Bar’ next to Court 6, where patrons can drink and eat freely while watching matches from just feet away, was like playing in a ‘nightclub’ following his first-round loss.
Having also lost on Court 6, Pavlyuchenkova got even more specific in her criticism after the match, with the 32-year old taking umbrage with a particularly bizarre taunt from a section of intoxicated fans – most likely in reference to a tattoo on her leg which reads ‘meow’.
“There were a couple of guys, I think they got drunk and they started to scream and meow,” Pavlyuchenkova told i News.
I think maybe because I have this tattoo on my leg, or just because of course they had some drinks and so it was really disturbing.”
Pavlyuchenkova was less than impressed with the bar set-up as a whole, saying the experience was ‘not nice’ and questioning whether the fans had any interest in her match.
“It was super loud, like in the restaurant basically, people talking and eating and drinking. I don’t know if they even watched the match,” she said.
“It was not nice to be honest. I was really annoyed at the start of the match. I have no problem playing on the outside courts, but this one was special in terms of the noise and also the court.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova claimed fans were ‘meowing’ at her during her second-round loss to Paula Badosa. (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)
“I was actually thinking during the match ‘What was the idea behind it?’… maybe of course, for the fans, it’s super fun for them. But tennis is a special sport in a way.
“It’s not like baseball, or other sports where you can eat and walk around, or like basketball. It is completely different. It’s very quiet in a way. So yeah, that was really uncomfortable.”
Her conqueror Badosa agreed, having played both her matches at the Australian Open to date on Court 6.
“My two matches I played there. It’s very noisy, very loud. It’s a little bit tough to concentrate there,” she said.
“It’s not very comfortable. I cannot listen to my team either if they want to say something or if I want to talk to them.
“Even during the points, it’s quite noisy. I don’t know if it’s going to work in the future.”
Implemented for the first time ahead of the 2024 tournament, Australian Open director Craig Tiley described it as the ‘party court’, and expected it to be ‘very popular’, in an interview with News Corp last year.
“As entertainment, I think it’d [Courtside Bar] be a hit. I think it’d be very popular and will be something where everyone wants to go,” Tiley said.
“You get to see a great view of the tennis. We do want to create an environment where the fans can get as close to the actual play as they possibly can. And we know we have the best environment anyway.”
jameswm
Roar Guru
Rubbish. Why can you eat and drink at your chair while watching cricket or basketball or the footy, but not tennis?
jameswm
Roar Guru
Or the men grunting
jameswm
Roar Guru
Well said Josh
jameswm
Roar Guru
"when did “woke” become this catchall term to disparage things you don’t like". When the right weaponised the word "woke", which initially meant aware of racial and social injustices. I really dislike the use of the word woke as an insult - it really demeans what it is supposed to mean. And no I am not a far leftie. "The term woke gained further popularity in the 2010s. Over time, it became increasingly connected to matters beyond race such as gender and identities perceived as marginalized. During the 2014 Ferguson protests, the phrase was popularized by Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists seeking to raise awareness about police shootings of African Americans. After the term was used on Black Twitter, woke was increasingly used by white people, who often used it to signal their support for BLM; some commentators criticized this usage as cultural appropriation. The term became popular with millennials and members of Generation Z. As its use spread internationally, woke was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2017. By 2020, many on the political right and some in the center in several Western countries began using the term sarcastically as a pejorative for various leftist and progressive movements and ideologies. In turn, some commentators came to consider woke an offensive term that disparages persons who promote progressive ideas involving identity and race. Since then, derivative terms such as woke-washing and woke capitalism have been coined to describe the conduct of persons or entities who signal support for progressive causes rather than working toward genuine change".
jameswm
Roar Guru
The players are princesses if you ask me. So you get a bit of noise. Toughen up. Learn to concentrate. As bas as Smith asking or that small cap to be moved off the massive white sheet and holding up play. Ump should have told him to play on.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Fair point.
Wolzal
Roar Rookie
eh... no more annoying noise in tennis than when the women start shrieking like a stuck pig with every hit. Can't have one of the players sounding like a back alley stabbing then point the finger at the crowd.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Maybe it's the speed of the serve. I've never been bothered by nouse playing Aussie, cricket, hockey or Football but noise while playing tennis is definitely annoying
Nick
Roar Rookie
If you're sitting down eating, drinking and chatting at the tennis, you are not there for the tennis, Or at least the match on the court next to you. Put the tables and chairs out the back with a big screen like they do at the Adelaide Oval.
josh
Roar Rookie
when did “woke” become this catchall term to disparage things you don’t like. When RWNJ thought they were being clever. I do find it ironic(?) that as those who pursue professional sports move up the ranks, their demands in how they play the sport becomes so strict. I live near tennis courts, where semi-pros and juniors play. There are courts side-by-side. So you can easily hear the sounds of 4 courts' games while you play your own. They seem to manage. Same for cricketers. I've played with not much of a sightscreen, in poor light, in the rain, as would those playing international cricket. But move up the ranks, and the slightest inconvenience means a pause. But at the same time, I agree with Steve Kerr's assessment, that basketball games are now basically nightclubs with a game going on. They can at least turn it down a bit. But complete silence? really.
Wolzal
Roar Rookie
I’m in two minds. Yes tennis has long standing courtside etiquette for fans to follow. But what makes tennis players so special? Plenty of other sports don’t demand quiet during clutch moments. Doesn’t do much to dispel the notion that tennis players are a bit precious. Ultimately the umpire has the power to deal with unruly crowd behaviour, so maybe impress upon them to deal with it. Australian Jordan Thompson claimed it was the ‘wokest tournament ever’ in response to fans now being allowed to move in and out of stadiums in between points and games jfc that doesn’t even make sense… when did “woke” become this catchall term to disparage things you don’t like.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
They should be watching the tennis and shutting up. Yes, have a meal and a drink but stfu.