Latest news with #Broady
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
French Open fans have become the most rowdy in tennis, and players do not like it
We can expect several of the world's finest tennis players to see red over the next few days – and not only because that is the colour of the Parisian clay. In recent seasons, the French Open has become arguably the most testing event on the circuit. On top of the physical and technical demands of best-of-five-set tennis, you have to deal with the spikiest fans in the game. Advertisement Last year, the issue came to prominence after Belgian veteran David Goffin endured what he described as three-and-a-half hours of insults, culminating in a fan spitting chewing gum at him at the conclusion of his five-set victory over home favourite Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. 'It's becoming football,' said Goffin after that match. 'Soon there will be smoke bombs, hooligans and fights in the stands. Some people are there more to cause trouble than to create an atmosphere.' Goffin's complaints did not go unheeded. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo responded by instituting an unprecedented 'booze ban', in which spectators are allowed to drink in the concourses but cannot take alcohol onto the court. These measures have now been extended into 2025 as well, so it will be interesting to see how well they work. Advertisement The early rounds of Roland Garros are often the most tempestuous, because of the preponderance of home hopes. No fewer than 27 French players are involved in the singles draws that start on Sunday, although – like Brits at Wimbledon – they tend to be winnowed out quickly once play begins. The involvement of a Frenchman or woman is usually what sends the Parisian crowds off the deep end. The former British No3 Liam Broady described the experience in colourful terms during an interview with Talksport last year. 'I've had all sorts there, personal abuse,' said Broady. 'Last year in qualifying I had to ask for a group of people to get removed. I think it's been happening for a few years now and the umpires don't seem to be able to do anything. 'I do get the feeling at the French Open that a few guys go for a drink with their mates and see which players you can rattle. A lot of people don't actually go to watch the sport.' French tennis fans at Roland Garros are a passionate bunch - Bertrand Guay/AFP Players like Broady and Goffin would contend that they do not mind what is usually known as a 'Davis Cup atmosphere' – in reference to tennis's international team event – in which the crowd is noisy and partisan. It is the personal element which pushes this behaviour over the edge. Advertisement Such distinctions are difficult for umpires to make, in the absence of any obvious way to measure rowdiness. But it is interesting that French fans are emerging as the most likely offenders. French fans can get boisterous when a compatriot takes to the court - Emmanuel Dunand/AFP Even at the Australian Open – which takes place in Melbourne, a city without a large French-speaking community – there have been a couple of incidents in recent years. In January, the chanting that supported France's Arthur Cazaux against Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley grew so loud that the players on the next-door court asked to be moved further away. Twas not ever thus. 'When I played Frenchmen at Roland Garros, the crowd were lairy – but in a good way,' recalls Tim Henman, who reached the semi-finals here in 2004. 'It was a fun, lively atmosphere. I think now there are times when their behaviour is questionable.' Advertisement As for Sue Barker, who became the last British player to land a title here when she beat Renata Tomanova in the 1976 final, she remembers the fans being gloriously well behaved. But then, as she points out, 'That was the way the world was then. It's all different now!' This may all be part of an unfortunate post-Covid trend. We hear of people being determined to go out and enjoy themselves in any way they deem appropriate, even if that means disrupting theatre performances by singing along or interrupting the actors. In tennis, the players have become so exasperated that they are beginning to return fire. The day after the chewing-gum incident, serial Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek interrupted her own on-court interview to scold the crowd on Court Philippe-Chatrier. 'When you scream something during the rally or right before the return,' she tutted, 'it's really, really hard to be focused.' Swiatek may perhaps have been influenced by Goffin's stand, which proved popular within the locker-room. After falling in the second round, Goffin explained that he had lost count of the number of players who had thanked him for taking a stand. Advertisement Not everyone agrees with the principle of the on-court booze ban. Mark Petchey, the experienced broadcaster and former British No 1 who is now coaching Emma Raducanu, queried Mauresmo's decision on social media during last year's French Open. 'Tennis wanting to get younger people watching,' wrote Petchey. 'Tennis also spending most of its time telling crowds to quieten down, don't make a sound in rally, don't pick a side too vigorously, don't drink in your seat but you should also be in that seat continuously from 11am to 7pm.' Yet there appears to have been no effect on ticket sales. Qualifying this week has been packed, and the roars that encouraged France's Titouan Droguet on Friday evening must have been audible far into the greenery of the neighbouring Bois de Boulogne. The next few days will give a sense of how the Mauresmo rule affects fan behaviour, particularly during the all-action intensity of the opening round. There are suspicions that the rules were not enforced with any great diligence last year, when punters could be seen with a beer in each hand while sitting on the outside courts. Advertisement As for the larger stadia, the authorities may be keeping an eye on the possible early clash between Novak Djokovic – the three-time champion who has described the Roland Garros crowd as 'not easy' – and Corentin Moutet, the tricky French left-hander and undisputed master of s---housery. If that second-round meeting should come to pass, they might have to call in the army. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rival's swipe at Sinner ban as Djokovic weighs in after launch of new legal move
British tennis star Liam Broady has likened Jannik Sinner's three-month doping ban to a football player being suspended in the off-season, and called for fellow players to be afforded the same level of legal representation as the World No.1. It comes amid a major legal change around doping cases after 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic admitted the current system was "inconsistent" and "unfair". Sinner just struck a deal with the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) that will see him suspended for three months after twice testing positive for for traces of banned substance clostebol in March last year. He was initially cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after claiming he'd been inadvertently contaminated from a spray used by his physio. WADA appealed the initial ruling and were set to take Sinner to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later this year, where they were pushing for a two-year ban until the deal was struck with the Italian. The messy saga has divided the tennis world, with growing calls for Sinner to be stripped of his latest Australian Open title, having played in this year's first grand slam with the doping cloud over his head. And major questions are being raised around the timing of Sinner's suspension, considering he won't miss any grand slam tournaments and will be free to return before his home event at the Rome Masters - which is a key lead-up tournament for the French Open. British star Broady says the suspension is very convenient for the World No.1 and questioned the fairness of the ruling. "I do think a lot has been put into when the ban would take place, to impact Jannik's career as little as possible," Broady told BBC Sport. "The ban ends the day before the Rome Masters, which is the biggest tournament in his home country and the perfect preparation for him to then go and play the French Open. I don't think he loses any (rankings) points or his number one spot either, so it's an interesting ban." Broady is ranked outside the world's top 500 and would not be able to afford the same sort of top-level legal representation as someone of Sinner's ilk. The 31-year-old pointed out how unfair that system is for many players that don't have the same amount of finances as Sinner, and called on the sport's governing bodies to provide legal teams that all professional players can access. "This is how the system is supposed to work, but obviously he has a multi-million pound lawyer team to exploit that and to make the system work correctly, whereas the rest of us don't," Broady added. "I would like to see... the ATP provide legal teams for everybody, good legal teams, that everybody has to use... "I don't like how the finances have maybe affected the outcome of this compared to other cases." Didn't realise you could reach a settlement regarding a doping ban… Interesting. Back in time for French Open I guess? 👀 — Liam Broady (@Liambroady) February 15, 2025 I'm sure Dan Evans would have liked a 3 month settlement banI'm sure Simona Halep would have liked a 3 month settlement banI'm sure Nicholas Jarry would have liked a 3 month settlement banI'm sure Beatrice Hadad Maia would have liked a 3 month settlement banRules are… — _ (@cfcj_j) February 15, 2025 Broady's comments come after Novak Djokovic's Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) launched a new scheme to provide pro bono legal support to players in such cases. The PTPA says the initiative would address Broady's concerns by providing athletes with "world-class legal expertise regardless of a player's financial standing and personal resources". RELATED: Tennis world blasts 'trash' move after grand slam's $1.6 million change Massive call made on Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray partnership Djokovic concedes the current anti-doping system in professional tennis is "very unfair" and admits there is a lack of trust from players and fans towards the anti-doping organisations. "Right now it's a ripe time for us to really address the system, because the system and the structure obviously doesn't work [for] anti-doping, it's obvious," Djokovic said at the Qatar Open. "The problem is that right now there is a lack of trust generally from the tennis players, both male and female, towards WADA and ITIA, and the whole process. I hope that in the next period of the near future that the governing bodies are going to come together, of our tours and the tennis ecosystem, and try to find a more effective way to deal with these processes. It's inconsistent, and it appears to be very unfair."
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Doping ban impacts Sinner as little as possible
Britain's Liam Broady believes Jannik Sinner's three-month ban for doping has been timed to impact the world number one's career "as little as possible". The Italian accepted an immediate three-month ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) on Saturday after reaching a settlement over his two positive drug tests last year. The 23-year-old, who won the Australian Open in January, is suspended from 9 February until 4 May, so will be eligible to play at the French Open - the next Grand Slam of the year - which begins on 19 May. "I do think a lot has been put into when the ban would take place, to impact Jannik's career as little as possible," Broady told BBC Sport. "The ban ends the day before the Rome Masters, which is the biggest tournament in his home country and the perfect preparation for him to then go and play the French Open. "I don't think he loses any [ranking] points or his number one spot either, so it's an interesting ban. "I was speaking to some people earlier and they said it's kind of like a Premier League footballer being banned over the summer. It's a difficult one." Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March. Wada had been seeking a ban of up to two years, having launched an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) following the 2024 decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) not to suspend Sinner. However, it reached a deal after accepting the player was inadvertently contaminated by a banned substance and "did not intend to cheat". World number 766 Broady said he was a "little bit upset at the verdict", adding that "it doesn't seem like there's much being lost from this ban". "It does appear to be favouritism towards the better players on the tour," Broady added. "I wouldn't say that he's done it on purpose, but if that had happened to another player, would we be treated the same way? Would we be afforded the same sort of dignity?" Broady is the latest player to question Sinner's ability to navigate the system by employing a high-powered legal team. "This is how the system is supposed to work, but obviously he has a multi-million pound lawyer team to exploit that and to make the system work correctly, whereas the rest of us don't," Broady said. "In tennis, we're all sort of self-employed and a lot of us don't make millions of pounds a year to be able to fight this sort of stuff. "I would like to see, I don't know if it's even possible, the ATP to provide legal teams for everybody, good legal teams, that everybody has to use, be that Jannik, be that Tara Moore when she was banned or Mikael Ymer when he got banned. "Everybody has the same legal team - money shouldn't come into it." Britain's Moore was suspended under anti-doping rules in June 2022 but had that ban overturned in December 2023. Sweden's Ymer was banned for 18 months because of an anti-doping rule violation. "I don't like how the finances have maybe affected the outcome of this compared to other cases," Broady added. Daniil Medvedev, who won the US Open in 2021, said it's a "bad sign" if other players are not afforded the chance to have strong legal representation. The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has launched a new scheme to help players facing allegations of doping or corruption to access pro bono legal support in an attempt to ensure access to "world-class legal expertise regardless of a player's financial standing and personal resources". Live scores, results and order of play Get tennis news sent straight to your phone
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Doping ban impacts Sinner as little as possible
Britain's Liam Broady believes Jannik Sinner's three-month ban for doping has been timed to impact the world number one's career "as little as possible".The Italian accepted an immediate three-month ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) on Saturday after reaching a settlement over his two positive drug tests last 23-year-old, who won the Australian Open in January, is suspended from 9 February until 4 May, so will be eligible to play at the French Open - the next Grand Slam of the year - which begins on 19 May."I do think a lot has been put into when the ban would take place, to impact Jannik's career as little as possible," Broady told BBC Sport."The ban ends the day before the Rome Masters, which is the biggest tournament in his home country and the perfect preparation for him to then go and play the French Open."I don't think he loses any [ranking] points or his number one spot either, so it's an interesting ban. "I was speaking to some people earlier and they said it's kind of like a Premier League footballer being banned over the summer. It's a difficult one."Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in had been seeking a ban of up to two years, having launched an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) following the 2024 decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) not to suspend it reached a deal after accepting the player was inadvertently contaminated by a banned substance and "did not intend to cheat".World number 766 Broady said he was a "little bit upset at the verdict", adding that "it doesn't seem like there's much being lost from this ban"."It does appear to be favouritism towards the better players on the tour," Broady added."I wouldn't say that he's done it on purpose, but if that had happened to another player, would we be treated the same way? Would we be afforded the same sort of dignity?" 'Money should not come into it' Broady is the latest player to question Sinner's ability to navigate the system by employing a high-powered legal team."This is how the system is supposed to work, but obviously he has a multi-million pound lawyer team to exploit that and to make the system work correctly, whereas the rest of us don't," Broady said."In tennis, we're all sort of self-employed and a lot of us don't make millions of pounds a year to be able to fight this sort of stuff. "I would like to see, I don't know if it's even possible, the ATP to provide legal teams for everybody, good legal teams, that everybody has to use, be that Jannik, be that Tara Moore when she was banned or Mikael Ymer when he got banned."Everybody has the same legal team - money shouldn't come into it."Britain's Moore was suspended under anti-doping rules in June 2022 but had that ban overturned in December Ymer was banned for 18 months because of an anti-doping rule violation."I don't like how the finances have maybe affected the outcome of this compared to other cases," Broady Medvedev, who won the US Open in 2021, said it's a "bad sign" if other players are not afforded the chance to have strong legal Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has launched a new scheme to help players facing allegations of doping or corruption to access pro bono legal support in an attempt to ensure access to "world-class legal expertise regardless of a player's financial standing and personal resources".
