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There is a touch of aristocracy about tennis, right? All-white attires, Rolex ads, star-studded galleries – all of this speaks elegance. Even in a sport as civilised as tennis, the headlines aren’t always for the right reasons. Here is our selection of the biggest Grand Slam controversies ever.
1. Marcos Baghdatis Smashes Racquets at the Australian Open
Few things fire up a crowd quite like a racquet smash, and Marcos Baghdatis took it to a whole new level in 2012. During his Australian Open clash with Stan Wawrinka, the Cypriot demolished four racquets in a matter of seconds.
Strangely enough, it seemed to help; he went on to win the set 7-5. He eventually lost the match, though, and was handed a fine for his troubles.
2. Novak Djokovic’s Vaccination Controversy
When it comes to Grand Slam controversies, this is perhaps the strangest of them all.
Novak Djokovic is one of the greatest players to ever pick up a racquet. Yet in 2022, it wasn’t an opponent that stopped him, but a jab.
The Serb believed he’d been granted an exemption from Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rules and arrived in Melbourne unvaccinated, expecting to play. That is, until he was detained by border officials.
After days of legal wrangling and political controversy – with Djokovic literally held captive in a hotel – his visa was revoked, and he never set foot on court at that year’s Australian Open.
Jokes on them though, because he came back and won the tournament the next year, emphatically.
3. The 2018 US Open Women’s Final
The 2018 US Open final should have been special – Naomi Osaka’s win over Serena Williams appeared to be the start of a new dawn in tennis.
Instead, it got completely overshadowed by a massive argument between Williams and the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, which stemmed from code violations over coaching. Both got plenty of stick afterwards: Williams for her outbursts, Ramos for coming down too hard with his penalties.
The whole thing got even more heated when Williams said she’d been treated differently because of her gender. That really divided people – some backed her completely, others reckoned she’d got it wrong.
4. Martina Hingis’s Meltdown at the 1999 French Open
Martina Hingis’s 1999 French Open final against Steffi Graf remains one of tennis’s most infamous meltdowns.
The teenage world No. 1 lost the support of the Paris crowd after repeatedly challenging the umpire, smashing her racquet, and disappearing for an extended bathroom break. At one stage, she even returned in a completely different outfit.
It’s easy now to sympathise with the pressure she must have felt, given her age and the stage she was on. But, her behaviour still goes down as one of the biggest Grand Slam controversies in history.
5. Maria Sharapova’s Banana Scandal
Until recently, tennis players were strictly forbidden from seeking advice mid-match, but that’s changed. The WTA relaxed its rules in 2020, with the ATP following two years later.
Before that, coaches often found themselves under suspicion for bending the rules with subtle signals. A nod here, a scratch there – gestures that could easily be explained away as innocent, yet always seemed to draw attention. Were they really just scratching their noses, or was something else going on?
A classic example came in the 2006 US Open final, when Maria Sharapova defeated Justine Henin. Reporters asked why her father had held up a banana multiple times during the match. Many assumed he was sending a secret message, but Yuri Sharapov insisted he was simply reminding his daughter to eat between sets.
“My life is not about a banana,” a furious Sharapova denied the allegations. “I’ve just won a Grand Slam. The last thing I’m going to want to talk about is a banana, alright? Can you tell me, if someone tells me to eat a banana, do you think that’s the reason why I’m going to win a match?
“This is great advice. We should tell all the junior players to have a banana and they’re all going to win. Great.”
6. Martina Navratilova Defecting Her Country
We have already discussed some Grand Slam controversies, but this one’s a bit unique – it’s got a side of geopolitical tension.
During the 1975 US Open in New York, Martina Navratilova quietly slipped away to the Immigration and Naturalization Service office in Manhattan and defected to the United States. The reaction from Prague was immediate:
“Martina Navratilova has suffered a defeat in the face of the Czechoslovak society. Navratilova had all the possibilities in Czechoslovakia to develop her talent, but she preferred a professional career and a fat bank account.”
7. Serena Williams Defaulted from 2009 US Open
Willams winning a Grand Slam used to be one of the safest picks to make for those who bet tennis. She was also notorious for her on-court antics – and perhaps this one was the most infamous one.
Already on a warning for racket abuse after losing the opening set to Clijsters, Williams was then hit with a foot fault on her second serve at 5-6, 15-30, giving away a match point to Clijsters.
She lost her cool and lashed out verbally, allegedly threatening to shove a ball down the line judge’s throat. The incident cost her the match, along with a record $82,500 (£51,000) fine and a two-year probation.
8. Novak Djokovic Accidentally Hitting a Line Judge
Similarly, Djokovic’s frustrations got the better of him in the 2020 US Open, as a careless hit saw the ball strike a line judge. The 33-year-old, who had just been broken to go 6-5 down against Pablo Carreno Busta in their fourth-round clash, was disqualified from the match.
The Serbian star, who was one of the favourites to win the tournament, had a lengthy discussion with tournament referee Soeren Friemel and Grand Slam supervisor Andreas Egli afterward.
But, he failed to convince them to change their decision. He eventually accepted his fate and shook hands with Carreno Busta before leaving the court.
9. Nick Kyrgios Rant
Australian Nick Kyrgios has long been one of tennis’s most controversial figures — and he proved it once again during the 2020 Wimbledon final.
Frustrated by a female spectator he claimed was ‘drunk’ and talking to him during points, Kyrgios demanded she be removed from Centre Court.
When asked to identify the fan, he exploded: “The one with the dress, the one who looks like she’s had about 700 drinks, bro!’
The woman, Polish lawyer Ania Palus, later sued Kyrgios. The matter was eventually settled, with the Australian issuing an apology and donating £20,000 to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.
