Tennis Prose




Apr/23

19

Zverev Threatens To Cancel The Tennis Media

By Scoop Malinowski

Last year Reilly Opelka condemned the tennis media as “the worst, awful” for their militant political agendas, stupid narratives, and stale story angles, etc. And now this week Alexander Zverev expressed his considerable disgust and disapproval with the methods of the tennis media.

Recently, Zverev stated that he felt he might have beaten Nadal at the French Open last year if he did not suffer the gruesome ankle injury during their intense, super competitive semifinal duel.

Zverev: “Last year at the French Open I really felt that I could compete with Nadal and I can offer an excellent match. Whether I could win or not, I don’t know. Nobody knows. A hundred percent I would have never said in my life that I was the favorite because that’s complete nonsense to say that you’re the favorite against Nadal at Roland Garros. And of course, from a sentence like that, in which I said I can simply keep up (with Rafa), which I did until the injury, is is then made: “Zverev says that he would have won the French Open.” Which I never said in my life. If my words are not twisted, if it is really published as I said it, then I am always very, very happy to be open (with the tennis media). But if my words are twisted even more often and moved in a direction that suits the press or that can be used to make a story, then at some point I will simply be politically correct and simply say what everyone else says.”

The takeaway here is Zverev is saying all the other players don’t trust the rotten tennis media and essentially say nothing in press conferences. This is a major declaration of war and a devastating condemnation of the rotten tennis media and their fake news, media manipulation tactics. Tennis can’t afford to have the majority of ATP and WTA players essentially silent ban the rotten tennis media.

And the ATP, WTA will probably do nothing to address this major problem. Imagine the consequences and after effects on the sport if ALL pro tennis players cancel the tennis media and only give boring, bland, politically correct rubbish and cliches to reporter’s questions?

Last year at French Open, the 25 year old currently ranked no. 16 in the world and winner of 19 singles titles, had Nadal on the ropes on Chatrier Court in the French Open semis. The match was a virtual deadlock with Zverev down 6-7 (8-10) and at 6-6 in the second set when the German suffered a bad fall and a devastating ankle injury which caused him to miss the remainder of the 2022 season. Zverev returned to competition in January at United Cup and this far in 2023 has posted a 10-10 match record.

2021 Olympic gold medalist Zverev is 3-7 career vs. Nadal, including a win in Madrid QF on clay in 2021 64 64. Also one of Zverev’s losses to Nadal was in their first match ever at 2016 Indian Wells when he had a match point but missed a volley to win the match (76 06 57). So Zverev should really be at 4-6 head to head vs Nadal.

My Biofile interview with Alexander Zverev

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2 comments

  • Bill McGill · April 19, 2023 at 10:37 am

    Zverev is precisely right. This is exactly what the tennis media does. They take anodyne statements by players and try to turn them into controversial claims. Some silly examples:

    1. Media asks a player a question like “With Djokovic unable to play the sunshine double, do you feel you have a better chance of winning?” When the player answers honestly, “Yes, obviously”, the tennis media acts like the player said “I’m happy that Djokovic has been excluded from playing.”

    2. Media asks Djokovic, Nadal or Federer about their objectives in continuing to play and they all respond with some variation of “I’d like to win big titles.” “Getting ranked no. 1 again at this age would be great.” “I just love the sport of tennis and want to play at the highest level.” The tennis media then turns those completely unremarkable statements in ridiculous stories like “Djokovic is obsessed with taking over top spot in GS titles record books.”

    3. Media asks a player about getting a bad draw and playing Nadal in 1R of French Open and he’ll say something like “Obviously it’s not a great draw. Can’t imagine a tougher opponent in the first round of the French Open, but obviously I’m here to play on the biggest stages and it’s a wonderful opportunity.” The tennis media will write a story with a headline like “In snub to Federer and Djokovic, player says Nadal is toughest opponent.”

    Tennis media are the worst. Except for the political media. And the political tennis media.

    Every now and then a player will actually say something asshole-ish, like Tsitsipas’ comment about Rublev’s only weapon. But the demand for such statements greatly outstrips the supply.

  • Scoop Malinowski · April 19, 2023 at 7:30 pm

    Bill, the majority of the tennis media are disgusting and pathetic. A few bright lights but far too many rotten eggs. The tennis media is so bad I’m not even sure they don’t harm and damage the way the sport is viewed by the public. The right side is winning though, he two worst culprits rottenburger and worstheim are being heavily criticized and exposed by Nolefam. Their anti Djokovic smear campaign and character assassination attempt has failed miserably. Novak is more popular and adored now than ever. He has exceeded Federer and Nadal.

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