Tennis has been around since the 13th century and originated in France. It was initially called jeu de paume (“game of the palm”) and was later developed into the sport we know and love today: a complex ball-to-racket, outdoor game. Women’s tennis was introduced in 1884, with Billie Jean King becoming the first female to become the world’s number one player in 1968.

Tennis has become one of the most popular sports to bet on during its open season. With a lot of different avenues to go down, finding the best sportsbook promotions needn’t be too hard, especially with BestOdds. In all sports, drama and scandal are always present and tennis is no exception. With that being said, here are 5 of the top surprising outcomes in tennis history:

Martina Hingis’ Downfall

Winning 25 Grand Slam titles during her 23-year reign in tennis, Martina Hingis, the 27-year-old Slovakian-born star, will go down in history as one of the greatest players to date. After one and a half years of injuries, Hingis’ first game back, playing against Laura Granville of the USA at Wimbledon in 2007, will forever be tainted as the start of the downfall of her career – and personal life. The two-year ban of the former world number one was a shock to everyone when drug test results revealed she was guilty of consuming the Class A drug, cocaine.

In addition to the ban, high authorities within the ITF also asked Hingis to revoke her ranking points, as well as forfeit over £65K worth of prize money from the Wimbledon match. This, paired with rumors of her adultery, was the nail in the coffin for Hingis’ singles career, as everything became more about her actions off the pitch, than her skills on the tours.

Daniel Köllerer’s Downfall

As one of the most popular players of his time, Austrian star Daniel Köllerer took the tennis world by storm when he became a professional in 2002, after reaching no. 23 in singles and no. 24 in doubles throughout January 2001 for Juniors. He racked up points across the globe, from the Spanish Futures circuit to the Italian Futures. This led up to 2003, when he produced a 90 percent win rate across his 8-year professional career. Competing in major tournaments, like Wimbledon 2009 and the Australian Open 2010, the shock of his lifetime ban in 2011 for fixing matches sent a shockwave through the tennis community. He was one of the biggest names in tennis to be caught, which then led to the integrity of the entire game being questioned and tainted. 

Richard Raskind/Renée Richards’ Victories

Between the years 1953-1960, Richard Raskin made a name for himself through his numbers at the US Open. However, 17 years after this, Renee Richards entered the game as the first transgender tennis player after undergoing gender reassignment surgery. Richards holds the title of the Transgender Pioneer, after she fought the United States Tennis Association to compete in the 1977 US Open. They had originally barred her from playing as a woman, only for the New York State Supreme Court to overrule in her favor. This was a huge step for the transgender community and the start of an acceptance for all diversities throughout the tennis world.

The Debilitation of Monica Seles’ Career

It came as no surprise when Monica Seles displaced Steffi Graf in 1993, after winning 31 tournaments, including eight Grand Slams, in just three years. Seles became known as one of the best players in the world. With her records behind her and a crown on her head, Seles was set to beat Magdelena Maleeva in the Hamburg quarterfinals but was stabbed in the back with a boning knife by spectator Gunter Parche during changeover. Parche was a die-hard Graf fanatic who wanted to protect her legacy in the tennis world. Although the injury wasn’t fatal, Seles’ career was put on hold for over two years while she took a much-needed hiatus from the game.

Jeff Tarango’s Career Highlight

Being involved in any sport can cause high levels of frustration and sometimes irritation, regardless of whether you’re the player on-site or a fan in the stands anxiously watching. That is why procedures and regulations must be followed, to ensure that health and safety are a top priority. Jess Tarango was not an exception when it came to the rules and regulations. He was pulled for a code violation by umpire Bruno Rebeuh after the crowd shouted abuse at him during one of his matches, to which he replied, shut up! Matters only looked worse when he decided to walk off the pitch and his wife then later slapped Mr Rebeuh!

Ironically, before this Mr Tarango was an ATP journeyman level player and the crowd was generally indifferent to him, but since this unforgettable incident, the Tarango name became universally known and his popularity grew. Some call this incident one of the top 15 tennis outbursts of all time.

(Monica Seles art by Miki Degoodaboom.)

Jeff Tarango · Martina Hingis · Monica Seles · Wimbledon

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