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Is it time to ban fist pumps in pro tennis?
No comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Bios
Years ago I wrote in this space that player finger pointing for the towel from the ballkid had become a tired and overused behavior on pro tennis courts and it needed to be banned. Seeing players point at towels after every point overshadowed the action and distractingly diminished the experience of watching high level pro tennis on TV.
Miraculously, someone in tennis must have read it because the practice soon vanished, before the Covid towel touching rules changed and ballkids were relieved of towel delivery slavery duties.
Now another player competitive behavior has emerged to become annoying.
Today, it may be time to ban fist pumps by players who are overusing the gesture. Or at least limit a player to three a match. Or to create a different variant of expression of alpha dominance.
I miss the days when McEnroe, Sampras, Agassi, Rios, McEnroe, Borg didn’t need to do any fist pumps.
It’s understood that the sport is faster, more physical and dynamic now and it requires more physical struggle to win matches and emotional adrenaline has become a more important element of success.
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