Daniel Altmaier had nothing more to say. Moments after one of the biggest wins of his career, the German unwittingly found himself on the receiving end of Stefanos Tsitsipas’s ire during their handshake at the net. Before Tsitsipas could finish, though, Altmaier had walked away from the net and he refused to engage in the Greek’s attempts to argue with him.
Altmaier shrugs at the first mention of the incident: “Even if I would have lost, I would not enter discussions because it’s just like heat of the moment. You need to cool down; let’s see if he reacts to it or he sticks to his opinion while cooling down on an exercise bike in the player gym late at night.”
Although Altmaier had the wherewithal to think clearly in the heat of battle, the same can not be said for many other players in New York over the past week, a tournament that has been dominated by outbursts of anger and frustration from players. “Lots of drama,” says Jessica Pegula, laughing. “I don’t know. My matches have been pretty no drama, so I’m not really sure what’s going on with everybody else. I don’t know. It’s just that New York City tends to bring out just a lot of drama, I guess.”
In hindsight, the Daniil Medvedev show on the first night of the tournament was a sign of things to come as he lambasted the umpire before inciting the Louis Armstrong Stadium audience into a six-minute protest while Benjamin Bonzi held match point in their first round match. Although that incident sparked a dramatic comeback, Medvedev lost in five unforgettable sets.
Then, after crashing out of the tournament in a second round loss to Taylor Townsend, Jelena Ostapenko crashed out on the court. Townsend later said Ostapenko’s heated comments towards her had included the Latvian accusing her of having “no education” and “no class”. Tsitsipas, who was apparently frustrated by Altmaier’s successful underarm serve in their second round match, tried to send his opponent a message after the match: “Next time, don’t wonder why I hit you, OK? No, I’m just saying if you serve underarm…” he said, his voice trailing off. By that time, Altmaier had removed himself from the conversation.
These events, and many others, seem to be reflective of this particular moment of the tennis season. Stress runs high across on the tour, particularly at the major tournaments, but the US Open is positioned at a particularly fraught period towards the end of a long, gruelling season. Most players are tired, tightly-strung and emotions are running high. They are, of course, also in New York, one of the most frantic cities in the world.
According to Pegula, the forceful New York crowds play a role in player behaviour on the court: “I feel like the crowds, they’re pretty crazy. They kind of get everyone riled up. Everyone is tense. It’s the last slam of the season. Your last chance to go deep at a slam for a while. I think people maybe just get stressed out, and you’re out there competing and fighting and trying to win. I think it just gets emotional. Adrenaline starts flowing.”
Coco Gauff agrees: “I think it’s, (a) end of the year; (b) we’re in New York, and the fans here – I love them – but [if] you’re on the wrong side of things, can … They’re into the match. They’re passionate tennis fans. They know what’s going on, and they’re used to other events I think, like major events, happening in the city that aren’t tennis.”
Not everyone believes the location of the US Open has a role in player behaviour: “Hey, don’t blame New York!” says a smiling Naomi Osaka, who grew up in the city.
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Most of the angry players in New York this week also have lengthy rap sheets. Medvedev, for example, has long been one of the most volatile players on the tour. Osaka says: “Not calling everyone out name by name, but Medvedev’s had a couple of moments here that are kind of iconic. I feel like the people here might enjoy a show, but I think people everywhere enjoy a show.”
Tsitsipas can be petulant at the best of times and Ostapenko’s criticisms of Townsend showed a lack of self-awareness considering she is notorious, and even admired by many, for her lack of sportsmanship. They are all also in poor form and this tournament represented their last opportunity to salvage their grand slam years.
For Gauff, it is not at all surprising to see these players involved: “To be honest, with some of the drama, I feel like it happens frequently on tour, but because it’s here, it gets more social media clicks,” she says. “Some of the players, these are recurring things that us in the tennis world, it’s not surprising. It’s like: ‘OK, whatever.’ But because it’s here in New York and maybe not as many tennis fans or things like that, it gets blown up on social media.”
Before offering her opinion, Osaka jokingly makes it clear that she has not been part of any drama this week: “I don’t know if it’s just the part of the season where everyone is, like, tired and irritated or something,” she says, smiling. “But for me I think New York brings out my best behaviour, so I don’t know what everyone else is doing.”
