Is the ATP Cultivating A New Villain Subculture For The Tour?

Dont know how this will work out for Medvedev,, but I definitely appreciate his honesty- especially compared to the way todays players shamelessly pander to the crowd in Flushing. Kinda sickening, to be honest. Reminds me of Connors’ “I’m out here doing it for you guys” bullshit.

I think Scoop is right. Unfortunately. The Big 3 brought the sport to new levels of athleticism, class and courage. They gave us true champions of the game and life.

Now, though, we must appeal to the millennials. The whiniest generation ever created. These people are vulgar, respect no one and have grown up in an era of extreme violence and partisanship. It is no wonder they have no respect for the tennis traditions since they play Fortnite all day long and watch NBA basketball.

Sadly, the tennis powers have bought into this generation, anointing them as the “NextGen” before they even earned anything. As a result, these players feel entitled and want what they do not have to earn. They will behave badly until they get their way. It’s an epidemic.

Keep in mind Medvedev was fined quickly for last night. Kyrgios has not because they do not want to kill the golden goose. That is telling. Kyrgios is the most important figure in tennis, complaining about Tom Rinaldi on social media today and his fans eating it up.

I just hope our sport can survive this. What a classy match between Osaka and Gauff. Perhaps the women’s tour will surpass the men’s now as a result of the nastiness of the Tsitsipas/Medvedev/Kyrgios generation. I have no choise but to believe in the ladies now. I fear the worst.

Before Next Gen, there was a New Balls Please generation in early 2000s. So it’s not new in terms of marketing and there actually is a group of excellent players finding their way to the second week of slams. That’s true, they’re here.

Even if Djoko, Nadal, Federer, Wawrinka etc are the semifinalists, it’s still true that the next generation of uber talented tennis players is here in the men’s game.

As for the NBA and fortnite or whatever, Nadal is a video game junkie and the NBA has been around forever. Jim Courier, like Kyrgios, didn’t want to be a pro tennis player – he wanted to be a pro baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds. I’m sure he was criticized heavily for it. He made it known he loved baseball more, but unlike Kyrgios, Courier’s talent was his timing and not his feel for the game, so he worked much harder and his results were superior.

Encourage anyone to find new players they like, because our favorites retire. They just do. As fans we have to find new players because eventually the game’s pros turn over – Chela, who I liked a lot, one day just couldn’t do it anymore.

But it’s nice to see a guy like Diego Schwartzman, who is definitely Guillermo Coria kind of player! Whatever you have seen before comes back in the game.

Scoop may be right, not because the ATP is cultivating or supporting villainy but because the antics of Medvedev have begun to appeal to a lot of fans. The ones in the stadium are half and half – half booing, but the other half appreciating something. I’d like to believe it’s the excellent playing, but some may like his antics post match where he says things that don’t endear him to anyone.

Sportswriters somehow are now addicted to his show, how he says give me all your negative energy because it’s just making me stronger. That’s a pretty ugly thing to say! I know Djokovic plays a Jedi mind trick where he imagines cheers for his opponent are actually for him, but this Medvedev tactic is bonkers.

I don’t like it and I don’t agree with it, and he’s about to land another fine for this kind of stunt.

But Medvedev might break up the big three party now or soon.

Although he did bait the crowd to boo him more after yesterday’s match.

At least he has acknowledged his bad behaviour and said he doesn’t like it. Apparently he works with a psychologist. I wonder if that will help.

Worse, he mimicked a rifle with his racket and shot it.

Scoop thinks Mirka should have been fined more for yelling at Wawa, than The Bryan idiot move😀

You’ve been killing the Federer’s since the day Mirka yelled, now it’s ok..

Don’t be so naive. Poaching players by Agents and Coaches has been going on forever. If Djoker has a “ Management CO.” He’d be doing it too.

Look at LeBron in basketball, worse, he’s getting guys to break contracts to play with him. If Fed and Zverev go on a run winning GS’s in doubles, I’ll agree it was wrong

Unfortunately Julia tends to get stuck in 3 setters and fall at the last fence which is what Donna Vekic is planning now. Bencic takes first set from Naomi. Belinda has high hopes.

As Kyrgios may one day understand…his relevance expands and fades with his game.

What I like about Julia is her modesty – she doesn’t do a lot of glamour posing and because success came fairly late for her she was never pounced at an early age by agents etc. She is also a very popular player. Just wish she had a sliver more toughness on court.

Hope Goerges can pull a Flavia. The window is closing, but she’s playing well and this should translate. She needs to keep it up a level and slam the door when she’s up a set and a break or close to it.

No, Julia could never beat Serena. She lost to her sf at W’don ’18, avoiding a horror all-German final v Kerber and won’t get another chance. Lovely player, everything you say Scoop, but outside of a miracle I can’t see her winning a bit title in the time she’s got left.

Good wins for Vekic and Bencic. Beltz has done good work with Donna. Don’t know Belinda’s coach.

I agree with Catherine that Goerges is not tough enough on the court. She shouldn’t have let that match slip away.

Julia served 21 aces, the most in a women’s singles match since 1998. I agree Hartt, she should have taken that match point. Great contest though and rather unexpected. I thought Donna would go in SS.

Apparently Julia was so nervous towards the end of the match she had to rub drying cream on her hands – also got a time violation and tried serve and volley on a 79mph second serve. Needs some relaxation therapy ?

Wait, let me get this straight, Mike Bryan using his racquet as a rifle to shoot at a lines person who made a bad call is because he watches too much gun violence on tv and the movies? Scoop, you talk about freedom of speech for Mirka, but you want artistic expression limited in the movies and tv. A person doesn’t have to watch violence on tv or in the movies. My wife didn’t go with me to see the new Quentin Tarrentino movie because she doesn’t like the violence in his movies. She chose to skip it.

Saying violence on tv and in the movies is the reason why there’s so much violence in American society is as stupid and wrong as saying that it’s mentally ill people who pull off all the mass shootings in this country. Mike Bryan’s got to be a lot smarter. Making a rifle out of your racquet when 54 people have been killed by automatic machine guns in August in this country is not even stupid, but I think it’s grounds to kick he and his brother out of the tournament. I’ve never seen a player do that ever.