The ATP is having a bad run of on-court reckless behavior involving multiple players. The men’s professional tour has been criticized by some in the media for not taking more decisive action to penalize the individuals involved. Some are starting to wonder if the ATP actually wants to discourage that behavior.
Here is a list of the recent episodes along with links to video clips (when available) for anyone who needs a refresher:
- Alexander Zverev beats the umpires chair with his racquet after a match at the Mexican Open.
- Nick Krygios throws his racquet and almost hits a ball kid after a match at the BNP Paribas at Indian Wells.
- Jordan Thompson hammers a ball into the sky at the Miami Open, almost striking a ball girl with his racquet. (I cannot find a clip of that incident, but it is well documented.)
- Jenson Brooksby throws his racquet at a ball person at the Miami Open who had to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit.
The ATP suspended Zverev for 8 weeks and he was fined both on site and by the ATP at the conclusion of the tour’s investigation. Several in the tennis media believe that the punishment was not enough. In related news, Zverev is also under ATP investigation for domestic abuse. The organization’s lack of progress on that complaint is also well documented.
A Look at the Rules
When Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the US Open in 2020, the Grand Slam Rulebook was the governing source of the code violations and procedures. That means that everything I wrote in “Ball Strikes and Court Officials” does not apply to these recent events.
The ATP Rulebook contains the Code Violations relevant to the men’s professional tour. There are separate violations defined for Ball Abuse and Racquet/Equipment abuse. There are also separate definitions of Physical Abuse and Verbal Abuse. The ATP Rulebook is clear that intention does not matter if the actions are reckless and without regard to the consequences.
A player may also receive fines for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. That infraction is defined as any misconduct by a player that is abusive or detrimental to the success of a tournament, the ATP, or tennis in general. Unsportsmanlike Conduct can include physical acts or verbal statements.
The fines for these various Code Violations vary per infraction type. The fines are spelled out in the ATP Rulebook. Here is a summary:
| Infraction | ATP Fine (Maximum) |
| Ball Abuse | $350 |
| Racquet/Equipment Abuse | $500 |
| Physical Abuse | $20,000 |
| Verbal Abuse | $20,000 |
| Unsportsmanlike Conduct | $20,000 |
According to an ATP Press Release, Zverev was fined $40,000 onsite at Acapulco for Verbal Abuse and Unsportsmanlike Conduct. That corresponds to the maximum fines allowed for those two infractions. It is interesting that Physical Abuse wasn’t cited.
At the conclusion of the ATP investigation, the tour fined Zverev an additional $25,000 and an 8 week suspension from play, but only if he violates a one year probationary period. It is unclear what the additional infractions are that garnered the additional $25,000 (probationary) fines. The ATP defined the conditions that would violate Zverev’s probation as follows:
Unsportsmanlike Conduct based upon an act, such as disrespectful or aggressive behaviour directed towards an official, opponent, spectator, or other person during or upon conclusion of a match
Verbal or Physical Abuse of an official, opponent, spectator, or any other person while on-court or on-site
ATP Press Release, March 8, 2022
Some sources have claimed that the fines and probation for Zverev imposed by the ATP are tepid and have potentially further reinforced the idea that Code Violations are an accepted norm on the tour. I have even seen it suggested that the recent series of “near misses” involving Ball and Racquet abuse are because the ATP simply doesn’t care about those things.
Kyrgios was fined $25,000 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct and an audible obscenity following his incident. Brooksby was not fined. It is not clear if Thompson will be fined, but probably not based on the Brooksby decision.
Would Increasing Fines Help?
If the ATP tour really wants to get the behavior in check, I would suggest that the fines for Ball and Racquet/Equipment abuse be raised to $20,000 to become more consistent with the other related Code Violations. In fact, I think that the recent fines levied as Unsportsmanlike Behavior were categorized that way because $350 and $500 fines are inconsequential at the tour level.
Increasing the fines for those infractions would allow the ATP to make it clear that the behavior is not acceptable. I also think it would greatly reduce those infractions at the ATP Level. To put this in further context, neither the ATP Tour or Reilly Opelka disclosed the amount of the fine he received for wearing a hat during the awards ceremony at the Dallas Open, but it could have been up to $1000 per the ATP Rulebook.
Ball and Racquet/Equipment abuse has gotten out of hand and it is only a matter of time before a bystander is seriously injured. If the ATP doesn’t make some tangible change, then my perception will be that those particular Code Violations are regarded as a crowd pleasing aspect of tennis. Those incidents always seem to make the highlight reel in any case.
- ATP Official Rulebook, 2022, ATP.
- ‘What is happening in this sport’: Tennis world condemns ‘absolutely absurd’ tantrums, Alex Conrad, Fox Sports, March 25, 2022.
- ATP Completes Review Of Zverev Acapulco Incident, ATP Press Release, March 8, 2022.
