As usually happens in major tournaments, we are already heading towards the last few days that are particularly attractive for the good tennis lover. And I don’t say “good lover” by chance, as I will explain a little later. Regarding the Spanish delegation, the not very encouraging omens of having sufficient participation beyond the inaugural first round have ended up being confirmed. Of the 11 registered, only Carlos Alcaraz and Paula Badosa managed to overcome the second, and the latter fell right following in the third. Hopefully this is just a representative temporary blip.
Although the women’s draw, now generally speaking, has been full of surprises (only two of the eight best seeds have managed to access the penultimate round), something diametrically opposite has happened on the men’s side. It should be noted, only, the early elimination of the Danish player Holger Rune, (whose vacancy has been filled by the next seed), which gives us highly tempting matches on the grid.
The only place in the semifinals defined at the time I am writing these lines is that of Novak Djokovic, who has just eliminated the very powerful North American player Taylor Fritz in four sets.
We will therefore be very attentive to the outcomes of the next matches and, above all, that of Carlos Alcaraz, who must defeat Alexander Zverev. Although victory fell to the German tennis player in their last confrontation, on the court indoor of the Turin Masters, I think that for this pass the favorite is our player. And I think regarding it not only because Carlos is better on this type of surface; in fact, on a similar court in the last US Open he got rid of the Germanic player in three comfortable sets, but the latter has also accumulated five more hours on the track with the consequent wear and tear. In two of his matches he has had to beat his rivals in close quarters. tie breaks on the fifth setwhich indicates not only accumulation of fatigue, but also that he must not be playing at his best level.
The Murcian, for his part, and following a lackluster start to the tournament, has gradually regained form and tennis level to close his last matches with increasing ease and determination.
Unfortunately, because it is an unpleasant topic that is far from what brings us to Melbourne Park for 15 days, the annoying and insulting shouting of a part of the public that has been attending the matches live has given rise to talk. It has reached such a point of bad manners that we have had to witness how the players who were on the court were directly rebuked. Novak Djokovic himself was forced to invite a disrespectful spectator to come down to the court to face him.
Why has this situation been reached in a sport that had as its characteristic element a certain elegance, silence and respect on the part of the very civilized spectators?
Obviously, what happens in tennis is nothing more than another reflection of what happens in society. This desire for prominence, even if it is inexplicable, tawdry and out of place, which Andy Warhol already predicted presciently — “in the future, everyone will have their 15 minutes of world fame” — is leaving a clear demonstration of it. It is no longer enough to go and enjoy a show. It seems, in fact, that this is the least of it. What it is regarding is shouting, participating and, of course, drawing the attention of the cameras present that will transport the image of the rude person on duty around the world. The most regrettable thing, however, is not the particular case (which is serious enough), but that what would previously have been a cause of general contempt, today is even cheered and encouraged by part of the rest of the public.
It seems that we are entering the very unpleasant and destructive scenario in which rudeness is not even punished by flagrantly widespread poor consideration.
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