Daniel Altmaier had nothing more to say. Moments after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday — one of the biggest wins of his career — the German unwittingly found himself on the receiving end of Tsitsipas’ ire during their handshake at the net.
However, before Tsitsipas could finish, Altmaier had walked away from the net, and he refused to engage in the Greek’s attempts to argue with him.
Although Altmaier had the wherewithal to think clearly in the heat of battle, the same cannot be said for many other players in New York over the past week, a tournament that has been dominated by outbursts of anger and frustration from players.
Photo: AFP
In hindsight, the Daniil Medvedev show on the first night of the tournament was a sign of things to come as he lambasted the umpire before inciting the Louis Armstrong Stadium audience into a six-minute protest while Benjamin Bonzi held match point in their first-round match.
Although that incident sparked a dramatic comeback, Medvedev lost in five unforgettable sets.
After crashing out of the tournament in a second-round loss to Taylor Townsend, Jelena Ostapenko crashed out on the court. Townsend later said Ostapenko’s heated comments toward her had included the Latvian accusing her of having “no education” and “no class.”
These events seem emblematic of this stage of the tennis season. Stress runs high on the tour, particularly at the major tournaments, but the US Open is at a particularly fraught period toward the end of a long, gruelling season.
Most players are tired, tightly strung, and emotions are running high. They are also in New York, one of the most frantic cities in the world.
For Jessica Pegula, the New York crowds play a role in player behavior on the court.
“I feel like the crowds, they’re pretty crazy. They kind of get everyone riled up,” she said. “Everyone is tense. It’s the last slam of the season. Your last chance to go deep at a slam for a while. I think people maybe just get stressed out, and you’re out there competing and fighting and trying to win. I think it just gets emotional.”
Most of the angry players in New York this week also have lengthy rap sheets. For example, Medvedev has long been one of the most volatile players on the tour.
However, Ostapenko’s criticisms of Townsend showed a lack of self-awareness, considering she is notorious, and even admired by many, for her lack of sportsmanship.
They are all also in poor form, and this tournament represented their last opportunity to salvage their grand slam years, another potential source of tension.
For Coco Gauff, it is not at all surprising to see these players involved.
“To be honest, with some of the drama, I feel like it happens frequently on tour, but because it’s here, it gets more social media clicks,” she said.
“Some of the players, these are recurring things that us in the tennis world, it’s not surprising. It’s like: ‘OK, whatever,’ but because it’s here in New York and maybe not as many tennis fans ... it gets blown up on social media,” she said.
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