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Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev found themselves in similar situations, engaging in heated exchanges at the net in Indian Wells, albeit with different people. Maria Sharapova also caused a stir by skipping the women's final of the first leg of the Sunshine Double between Maria Sakkari and Iga Swiatek to attend the men's final between Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) raised eyebrows with a $2 billion offer to merge the ATP and WTA Tours. British tennis coach Calvin Betton criticized the men's tennis organization for its doubles entry system amid several issues regarding all-singles pairs at the Indian Wells.
Meanwhile, the women's tennis organization faced backlash for their late update on Maria Sakkari and Coco Gauff's match at the WTA 1000 tournament on their social media platforms.
On that note, here's a quick recap of the week's biggest controversies:
Novak Djokovic & Daniil Medvedev engaged in heated exchanges during their respective Indian Wells encounters
Novak Djokovic's Indian Wells Masters journey ended surprisingly in the third round against lucky loser Luca Nardi on March 12. What shocked tennis fans wasn't just the Serb's early exit, but his disputes with the chair umpire regarding Nardi and an alleged tense exchange with the Italian at the net.
During the second set of their match, with Djokovic leading 2-0, Nardi broke back right away. He hit a weak return and appeared to pause before chasing the 36-year-old's shot, ultimately winning the game.
Djokovic halted in response and went to the umpire, expressing how his opponent's action disrupted his rhythm. The 24-time Major winner also requested a hindrance call against the Italian, but the umpire refused.
The controversy didn't end there. When Novak Djokovic and Luca Nardi met at the net, Djokovic congratulated the 20-year-old in Italian but also allegedly brought up the inconvenience caused during the match, which didn't sit well with fans.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev encountered a similar scenario during his Indian Wells quarterfinal against Holger Rune on March 14. After the Dane dropped the first set, he altered his approach and played aggressively in the first point of his opening service game in the second set, winning the point by targeting a shot at the Russian.
Medvedev didn't notice when Rune apologized after his actions and made an "I see you" gesture, followed by the 20-year-old letting the chair umpire know about his apology. When the players at the net after Medvedev won the match, the former US Open champion tried to address the issue, but Rune didn't pay any attention.
Maria Sharapova snubs Iga Swiatek-Maria Sakkari Indian Wells final to attend men's title bout
The 2024 BNP Paribas Open wrapped up with two weeks of exciting tennis on March 17, crowning Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz as champions. However, controversy arose as Maria Sharapova chose to attend the men's final instead of the women's.
Other celebrity attendees included Zendaya and her boyfriend Tom Holland, who were present at both matches. Thus, Sharapova's choice to skip the women's final, considering her status as one of the greatest women's tennis players ever, caused a major uproar.
Saudi Arabia offers to merge ATP & WTA
Saudi Arabia has been gradually increasing its influence across global sports, and tennis is no exception. A recent report by The Telegraph revealed that the Gulf country has made a significant $2 billion offer to merge the ATP and WTA Tours.
The proposal was presented to the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournament organizers on Saturday, March 16. It comes with a 90-day deadline and the tours can either accept it or go with a rival 'Premium Tour' led by the four Grand Slams. If the deal goes through, the Middle Eastern country would also host a Masters 1000 tournament at the start of each tennis season.
WTA delays posting results of Coco Gauff vs Maria Sakkari Indian Wells SF
Maria Sakkari defeated Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the 2024 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on March 16. She emerged victorious with a score of 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2 after a hard-fought match where both players gave their best. The Greek then suffered a 4-6, 0-6 loss to Iga Swiatek in the final a day later.
Amid all the excitement, fans quickly noticed the WTA's delayed post on the result of the Gauff-Sakkari clash. It was surprising as it came hours after the match ended, leaving many questioning if the organization truly cared about their players.
British tennis coach Calvin Betton slams ATP for its "broken" doubles entry system
British tennis coach Calvin Betton criticized the ATP for its doubles entry system following issues at the Indian Wells Masters.
This year's tournament saw 12 all-singles pairs in men's doubles, with three withdrawing without playing, five losing in the opening round, two not playing at the time of his criticism and the remaining two facing each other.
Betton said that doubles players ranked inside the top 35 didn't get fair opportunities to play in Masters 1000 tournaments due to the "broken" system and called on the Novak Djokovic-led PTPA to take action on this matter.
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