Famous Wimbledon Tennis Meltdowns
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We take a look at some of the most famous tantrums thrown on the SW19 courts
Wimbledon is considered the very pinnacle of tennis. The players who win it can rest assured that their names will forever be remembered in the record books over at SW19. It has a well-deserved reputation of being a gentleman’s sport and it’s not hard to see why, with the likes of Roger Federer and Bjorn Borg gracing the courts over the last few decades.
However, with the increasing amounts of money on offer to the winners, along with the advancement of things like sports medicine and nutrition, the game has become much more competitive. More competition means more pressure and sometimes players can let it get to them.
Nick Kyrgios is currently considered the ‘Bad Boy’ of tennis, but it’s surprisingly Tim Henman who holds the unwanted record of being the first player in the Open Era to be defaulted on the hallowed grass courts, showing the pressure can get to even the nicest of guys. There’s plenty of big personalities in the sport at the moment and Coral are offering a very generous 25/1* for any player – man or woman – to be defaulted at this year’s tournament.
With that in mind, we decided to take a look at some the most famous Wimbledon meltdowns caught on camera to whet your appetite for the big biggest two weeks in world tennis.
Nick Kyrgios – 2015 v Richard Gasquet
Kyrgios is renowned for his temper tantrums in the world of tennis but at Wimbledon in 2015, he did something nobody could quite fathom against Richard Gasquet. The Australian hot head found himself a set and a break down in the second and with his French counterpart looking to hold serve to go 3-0 ahead, the then 20 year old appeared to throw in the towel completely, something known as “tanking” to those involved in the sport.
Greg Rusedski – 2003 – v Andy Roddick
Former British number one Greg Rusedski was facing American Andy Roddick, a player he had beaten in straight sets the year before, and although it was a close match throughout, there was one moment that will stand out in the memory for a long time. In the third set, the players exchanged a few blows before a sliced back-hand from Roddick drifted onto the back of the base-line, only for a member of the crowd to shout “out”. Rather than replay the point, the umpire awarded the point to the American, much to the frustration of Rusedski. You can see his outburst below.
Jeff Tarango – 1995 v Alexander Mronz
Tennis fans will know more than most that the Americans tend have a little fire in their belly and that was displayed once again at SW19 in 1995, when Jeff Tarango’s temper boiled over. After what looked to be a perfect ace to Mronz’s backhand side, the chair umpire overruled and deemed the first serve to be out and Tarango couldn’t contain his anger. After arguing the decision, the crowd began to get on the American’s back, to which his response was “shut up”. That earned him a court violation, which only enraged him more and shortly after he became the first ever player to forfeit a match at Wimbledon by walking off court.
Viktor Trocki – 2016 v Albert Ramos-Vinolas
Serbian Viktor Troicki was facing Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in a very tight contest in 2016. In the last of a five set thriller, Italian official Damiano Torella overruled a line judge’s decision to call a ball out, which gave Ramos-Vinolas match point. Unsurprisingly, Troicki didn’t agree with the chair umpire’s call and was incensed, going on to rant even after the match had finished. See his meltdown below.
John McEnroe – 1981 v Tom Gullikson
You can’t do a Famous Wimbledon Meltdowns piece without including the ‘King of Kick-Offs’ himself, John McEnroe. Of his many on-court meltdowns over the years, there’s one which ranks as one of the most memorable moments in sporting history. Yep, you guessed it. A youthful McEnroe, sporting big frizzy hair and a headband, was enraged when umpire Edward James ruled his serve to be out. The American then exploded into a tirade which produced the immortal line “You cannot be serious” as he continued, in vain, to argue his case. It all ended well for McEnroe though, as he won the match and eventually went on to win the tournament, gaining revenge on his much more mellow-mannered nemesis, Bjorn Borg.
The world’s best will converge on SW19 yet again this July to fight it out for the most coveted title in tennis and it looks more open than ever. World number one Andy Murray has been inconsistent since topping the rankings and Novak Djokovic just doesn’t look himself. Roger Federer skipped the French Open to be fit for Wimbledon, but are we about to see a revival from Rafael Nadal, who landed his very own ‘La Decima’ at Roland Garros?
There’s hundreds of markets available throughout the two weeks. Andy Murray (singles title) and Jamie Murray (doubles title) both to win is a massive 33/1* for those of you cheering on the brothers. For the more conservative of you, both Murrays to make their respective finals is available at a tempting 9/1* and patriotic punters may be interested in the Andy Murray & Johanna Konta special, with 18/1* on offer for both Brits to land the men’s and women’s titles.
Whoever you think will win, make sure you go to Coral and place your bets for the biggest tennis tournament of the year.
