“The racquets must not provide any kind of communication, instruction, or advice to the player during the match.”
John McEnroe, “But Seriously, the Rules of Tennis”, Calm App.
The first morning after I first discovered John McEnroe reading the rules of tennis within the Calm App, my brain was fixated on the passage quoted above. Seriously, that’s a rule? I had no idea. If the wording in the abridged paraphrased tennis rules is accurate to the rules, then I am a rule breaker. Call me a rebel.
When one of my daughters was playing junior tennis, I would frequently make tiny labels with my label maker and adhere them to the side of her racquet before big matches. I never told her in advance that I was going to do it but she would inevitably find it at some point during the match. “Move your feet” and “split step” would elicit an eye roll. “Stay Calm and STFU” made her laugh out loud. Were we just lucky that an umpire never caught us?
The USTA “Friend at Court” contains the word “Racket” 92 times. (I will save the debate on the proper spelling of racquet for another day.) The playing characteristics of the racquet are described in Section 4 and Appendix II. There really isn’t mention of the racquet communicating with the player within that guide.
Player Analysis Technology is described in Appendix III, and that section indicates that communication to a player by any kind and by any means is prohibited. It is hard for me to think that a sticker on the side of the racquet qualifies as player analysis technology.
There does seem to be relevant coverage in Section 30, Coaching.
A player may bring to the court written notes that were prepared before the start of the match and may read these notes during the match. While on court or during a match, a player may not receive information via electronic devices capable of receiving communications such as cell phones and smartwatches.
USTA Friend at Court, USTA Comment 30.1
By my reading, written notes are permitted and there should be no restriction on how those notes are carried onto the court. So maybe the stickers on the side of the racquet are OK after all. Messages monogrammed on wrist bands (which I have seen!), printed upside down on a T-shirt, or on the underside of the bill of a cap, should all be permitted. Paper is for those that lack creativity.
Maybe I am not a cheater after all.
