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ESPN were slammed for ranking Serena Williams above Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer in the Athlete of the Century list. In other news, the chair umpire came under fire for a questionable ball bounce decision in Alexander Zverev’s Round of 16 match at the Hamburg European Open.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal received backlash for seemingly dismissing rival Novak Djokovic's all-surface dominance. Tennis journalist faced criticism for declaring Carlos Alcaraz the 'greatest 21-year-old' in tennis.
Also, a Tennis Journalist sparked outrage after praising Nick Kyrgios' Wimbledon commentary despite his controversial past.
On that note, here's a recap of the top controversies from the last week:
Chair umpire receives criticism over disputed ball bounce call during Alexander Zverev's Hamburg Open 2R match
A controversial double bounce call by chair umpire Alison Hughes cost Alexander Zverev the first set in his 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory against Hugo Gaston in the Round of 16 at the recently concluded Hamburg European Open.
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The incident happened at the end of the first set when Gaston managed to return Zverev’s powerful backhand and hit a winner to take the set 6-4. Zverev was furious, claiming that the ball had bounced twice before Gaston’s shot.
The German confronted the chair umpire and urged Gaston to admit the double bounce, but his protests were ignored. He also asked for the supervisor, but he had to resume the match trailing by a set.
Watch the video here:
The tennis community on social media later expressed their opinions on the matter, with most of them siding with Zverev and slamming Gaston and the chair umpire.
Defending champion Alexander Zverev went on to defeat eighth seed Zhang Zhizhen, and Pedro Martinez en route to the final, where he lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(1) to fifth seed Arthur Fils.
ESPN faced backlash for ranking Serena Williams above the Big 3 in the Athlete of the Century list
ESPN faced criticism for ranking Serena Williams higher than Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer in the Top 100 athletes of the 21st century list.
The list of the top 100 athletes of this century (since 2000) was revealed by ESPN on July 18, where Williams, who has won 23 Grand Slam titles, was ranked above the 'Big 3' Federer (Rank 6), Djokovic (Rank 11), and Nadal (Rank 12). Many fans voiced their displeasure with the list on X (formerly Twitter).
Tennis fans also questioned the ranking of Andy Murray (Rank 80), who has three Grand Slam titles, above Venus Williams (Rank 86), who has 21 Major titles in singles (7) and doubles (14).
Rafael Nadal criticized for seemingly overlooking rival Novak Djokovic's all-surface dominance
Rafael Nadal faced criticism for seemingly disregarding Novak Djokovic's dominance across all surfaces. In a recent interview, Nadal stated that he dominated clay, Roger Federer ruled grass, and both Swiss and Djokovic excelled on hard courts during his generation.
Additionally, Nadal emphasized compatriot Carlos Alcaraz's adaptability as the latter became the youngest man to win Major titles on all three surfaces, achieving victories at the 2022 US Open, the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2024 French Open.
"No matter what surface, he [Alcaraz] will be the favorite. That's something we haven't seen in my generation. I was the favorite on clay but on grass, it was Roger (Federer). On hard, it was between Roger and Novak and then me a little later. But none of us were the favorites before every tournament," Nadal said (via L'Equipe).
Wildcard Rafael Nadal recently concluded his Nordea Open campaign with a 3-6, 2-6 loss to seventh seed Nuno Borges in the final. Nadal with partner Casper Ruud also reached the doubles semifinal before withdrawing to focus on his title match.
Nadal is now slated to represent Spain at the Summer Olympics in Paris (July 27-August 4) in singles and doubles (with Carlos Alcaraz).
Tennis journalist came under fire for naming Carlos Alcaraz the 'greatest 21-year-old' in tennis
A tennis journalist faced backlash for naming Carlos Alcaraz the "greatest 21-year-old" in tennis following his victory at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where he successfully defended his title against second seed Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) in the final.
Alcaraz completed the Channel Slam, becoming the youngest man in the Open Era to clinch both the French Open and Wimbledon titles in the same year. He also joined Roger Federer as the only man in the Open Era to win his first four Grand Slam finals, with the Swiss winning his first seven.
The journalist’s praise for Alcaraz’s feat was met with disagreement by many tennis fans, who voiced their opinions on social media. One fan highlighted that Monica Seles had won more Grand Slam titles by the age of 20.
Tennis journalist received flak for praising Nick Kyrgios' Wimbledon commentary given his controversial past
Tennis journalist Jon Wertheim faced backlash for lauding Nick Kyrgios’ commentary during the 2024 Wimbledon Champions, despite his past animosity towards the WTA and claims of assault by his ex-girlfriend.
Kyrgios, who is still sidelined by injury, has been a regular commentator at the Grand Slam events, teaming up with John McEnroe on the BBC team during the grasscourt Major. While his role was met with disapproval, the Australian’s commentary impressed Wertheim, who said that the Aussie had already aced the Major for his analysis.
However, tennis fans were not happy with the compliment for Kyrgios’ commentary, blaming the media for whitewashing the Australian’s image given his controversial history.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
