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Stan Wawrinka and Holger Rune's testy exchange was among the most controversial moments of this year's Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami).
Tennis is an intense sport that demands physical as well as mental strength. On occasion, players lose their cool, leading to a heated contest and often, controversy.
When it comes to controversies on the tennis court, names like John McEnroe, Nick Kyrgios and Jimmy Connors immediately spring to mind.
While the recently-concluded Sunshine Double witnessed some terrific action on the court, there was also a sprinkling of controversy.
without further ado, here's a look at three of the most controversial moments from the 2023 Sunshine Double:
#1 Stan Wawrinka and Holger Rune’s post-match interaction (BNP Paribas Open)
There is a bit of history between Stan Wawrinka and Holger Rune. Their uneasy relationship began at the Paris Masters last year when Rune triumphed over Wawrinka. Following the loss, the three-time Grand Slam Champion wasn't too impressed with his opponent’s behavior and told him “not to act like a baby on the court.”
Rune never spoke of the incident publicly, but at Indian Wells, it seemed like he was eager to get back at Wawrinka. The Swiss player won their Round of 32 match 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5.
As Rune and Wawrinka walked towards each other to shake hands at the net, the Dane said:
"You got nothing to say now? You got nothing to say now?"
Wawrinka responded:
"What do you want me to say?"
Rune received plenty of flak for his comments from tennis fans.
#2 The controversial point between Karolina Pliskova and Maria Sakkari (BNP Paribas Open)
Maria Sakkari overcame Karolina Pliskova in a hard-fought encounter in the Round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open. However, the match will be remembered for more than just the scoreline.
With Sakkari leading 5-2 in the third set, Pliskova played a diagonal pass which was called out by the chair umpire. The Czech player felt that the ball had touched Sakkari's racket before going out, and was proved right by the subsequent replay.
Sakkari, however, denied the claim, leading to the point being awarded to the Greek.
The injustice had Pliskova fuming, and the match, which Sakkari eventually won 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, ended with a frigid handshake between the pair.
#3 Martina Trevisan and Nao Hibino's post-match handshake (Miami Open)
Martina Trevisan squared off against Nao Hibino in the second round of the Miami Open. The match was straightforward for Trevisan as she outclassed her opponent in straight sets (6-4, 6-3).
However, the affair didn't end smoothly. As the players approached each other to shake hands, the unhappy Japanese player said, "Your team has no respect for players."
This was in reference to Trevisan's team persistently shouting throughout the match. The Italian and her entourage subsequently received a lot of flak from tennis fans.
