Mildura Lawn Tennis Club coach Bill Madafferi is a former ATP player and he joins the Sunraysia Daily sports team to look at tennis issues.
WHEN Novak Djokovic hit a linesperson at the US Open he broke the rules.
Anyone who has played tennis at any level, knows if you hit an official or opponent with the ball after play during a match, it is automatic disqualification.
Saying it wasn’t deliberate, isn’t an excuse, the rule is black and white and officials at the US Open got it right.
It wouldn’t matter if it happened at Mildura Grand Tennis International, if a player hits a ball away in frustration and it hits any official on the court or another player, they should be kicked out of the tournament.
I know Djokovic didn’t mean to hit the linesperson and being thrown out of a Grand Slam is a big price to pay, but for a player at his level, he should have known better.
I’m not saying he’s the first player to do something like this, I know I was guilty of losing my temper plenty of times during my career and I considered myself a player who was able to keep his emotions in check on court, but every player feels frustrated at some point.
But what happened to Djokovic is an important lesson for all young players coming through the ranks – rules are in place for a reason, break them and you will pay the price. Learning the rules is an important part of a player development, particularly for juniors.
In most junior tournaments and Australian Money Tournaments, players umpire themselves. If you don’t know the rules, you leave yourself exposed.
Take it from me, it can sometimes get a little heated on court between opponents, but if you have a good understanding of the rules, then you can avoid some of these confrontations.
Most players out there wouldn’t know if your hat blows off twice during a match, the second time it does you should technically forfeit the point. I know many wouldn’t enforce the rule, but if you are following them to the letter of the law, then you are well within your rights to do so.
If you know these types of rules, then you can put things in place to avert them happening. If it’s a windy day and your hat blows off once, take it off and put it in your bag. Rules are designed to make the game easier. I know some would argue they can sometimes make it more difficult, but imagine if we didn’t have any.
Every sport has some weird rules written into their laws and tennis probably has a few more than other sports, but as players when you walk out on to the court, you accept the rules in place, break them and you pay the price.
Djokovic learnt a very tough lesson this week, one he won’t forget quickly.
For a player of his status and wealth it is not about the money.
The $US10,000 fine he copped and the $US250,000 he forfeited in prizemoney for being disqualified, is a drop in the ocean for a bloke who has won $US196 million and who earns many millions more through endorsements and sponsorship. For Djokovic, losing the opportunity to win another Grand Slam would hurt way more than the money.
The one thing for me that has come out of this week’s drama is that it doesn’t matter whether you are the best player in the world or running around in a tournament in Mildura, every tennis player is subject to the same rules.
