There’s been a lot of talk about the unwritten rules of tennis during Week 1 of this U.S. Open, whether it’s the necessity of a “ sorry, not sorry ” raised hand after a let cord or the proper way to warm up with an opponent or the legitimacy of an underarm serve.
Another part of the game drawing attention — thanks to players’ complaints about each of the above — is the postmatch greeting at the net, which usually involves shaking hands and, sometimes, a hug or kisses on the cheek. It would seem to be a simple act of sportsmanship, but every so often ends up going awry.
Not every contest in every sport ends with that sort of civility, but it is an entrenched ritual in tennis, from kids starting out to the pros, even if the word “handshake” never appears in the 61-page Grand Slam rule book.
“You do it in the juniors. You do it your whole life. It’s part of the fabric of our sport,” said Brad Gilbert, a former player and coach who is part of ESPN’s cast in New York.
“You’ve got to win with class,” he said, “and lose with dignity.”
The Townsend-Ostapenko back-and-forth at the US Open drew scrutiny
Chris Evert, who won 18 majors in the 1970s and ’80s, said: “I never had a bad moment at the net with anyone.”
That’s hardly the case for everyone — as two episodes at the U.S. Open showed.
Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion from Latvia, got into a dustup with Taylor Townsend, the No. 1-ranked doubles player from the U.S., after clasping hands following Townsend’s victory.
Instead of going their separate ways, the athletes exchanged words, with Ostapenko pointing a finger at Townsend, who is Black, and calling her “uneducated.” Ostapenko was upset that Townsend didn’t apologize after a ball hit the net tape and went over (that’s not actually a rule) and started their warmup with volleys instead of groundstrokes (not a rule, either).
“Ostapenko,” Gilbert said, “was ridiculous.”
The US Open handshake between Tsitsipas and Altmaier didn’t go well
On Thursday, another net encounter went badly when the loser, two-time Slam finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas, let the winner, Daniel Altmaier, know he hadn’t appreciated an underarm serve — which is allowed.
Rather than engage, Altmaier turned his back on Tsitsipas.
