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Top 13 Rudest Tennis Players Ever
Tennis players that are impolite and discourteous are notorious for their wrath and other harsh conduct on the court. While the majority of players retain their decorum and sportsmanship, a few can be rude and make the game unpleasant. This article will rank the top 13 most obnoxious tennis players of all time.
Players displaying disrespectful and provocative behavior after allowing their emotions to control them is prevalent in tennis, as it is in other sports.
There is a long record of occasions in which players lose their cool and do things they subsequently regret.
However, several of the players have consistently displayed unsportsmanlike behavior and comments, gaining the title of “rudest player.”
Tennis Players Who Are the Rudest
If you want to know who the rudest tennis player of all time is, remain with us until the finish. If you believe any other players should be included on this list, please leave their names in the comments area.
13. Mannarino, Adrian
- French nationality
- career championship
- Active status
Adrain Mannarino is not well-known in the tennis world.
Tennis fans dislike the player because of his contentious and nasty behavior over the years.
During the 2017 Wimbledon, he collided with a ball boy. Rather than apologizing, he later joked about the incident, which resulted in a £7,000 punishment.
This isn’t his first run-in with the ball boys.
He once repeatedly kicked the ball boy in the neck, and he purposefully flung his racket near a youngster.
Similarly, he lambasted the first New York Open, claiming that if it hadn’t been for his fiancée, he would have committed suicide due to the tournament’s remote location.
12. Troicki, Viktor
- Serbian nationality
- 3 different job titles
- Retired status
Emotions are typical throughout a tennis match, although they might be difficult to control at times.
However, as a professional, it is a requirement.
However, at the 2016 Wimbledon, Viktor Troicki earned headlines for his daring behavior.
Damiano Torella, the Italian umpire, erupted when Albert Ramos Vinolas was awarded an ace.
He first grabbed the ball from the ball boy’s grasp before confronting the Italian.
He also questioned his umpire, referring to him as nasty and the worst in the world.
He refused to shake hands with his opponent after losing the match and began his passionate argument with the umpire.
In addition, he is well-known for serving a one-year penalty for violating an anti-doping guideline by missing a blood test in 2012.
11. Gulbis, Ernests
- Latvian nationality
- 6 different job titles
- Active status
Ernests Gulbis gained the moniker “tennis’ wild child” for being the contentious and abrasive player he is today.
He was formerly thought to be a very talented player, but he is now well-known for his comments and attitudes.
He had complained that interviews with players such as Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, and Murray were too boring because of their courteous demeanor.
Similarly, in 2014, he stated that women should not seek careers as professional tennis players.
He also stated that he does not want his sister to pursue professional tennis.
Furthermore, in one interview, he stated that men’s tennis is more competitive than women’s tennis.
Aside from that, he has a history of destroying rackets and assaulting and abusing officials.
10. Hingis, Martina
- Swiss nationality
- 43 different job titles
- Retired status
Martina Hingis, who was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013, is one of the surprising names on the list of unpleasant tennis players.
She is also regarded as one of the finest female tennis players of all time.
She was the youngest Grand Slam champion and world number one during the 1990s.
Despite her great success in tennis, Martiana is no stranger to tennis controversy.
Hingis made a contentious statement in 2001 when she told Time Magazine that being black had benefitted Willaims’ sister.
She also stated that they are getting sponsors and benefits because of their skin color.
Later, Hingis told Matchball magazine that competing against Serena Willaims was like competing against a steamroller.
Similarly, at the 1999 Wimbledon press conference, she referred to her former doubles partner, four-time Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna, as “ancient and slow.”
9. Roddick, Andy
- American nationality
- 32 different job titles
- Retired status
Andy Roddick is the latest American male tennis player to win a Grand Slam.
He has also reached the finals of every major competition.
Fans remember him primarily for his devastating service, which made him impossible to beat.
Roddick is known for his fury, in addition to his outstanding gameplay.
Furthermore, Roddick rarely departed the tennis court without addressing his opponent or the umpire.
Roddick’s most famous nasty incident occurred in the 2010 US Open when he joked about the chair umpire shouting “1800 rent-a-ref” for calling a foot fault.
Similarly, in the Mutta Madrid Open in 2011, he lost 2-0 to Cipolla and destroyed his racket aggressively after giving up easy points.
Roddick smashed his racket again once it was discovered that the umpire had not warned him.
8. Hewitt, Lleyton
- Australian nationality
- 30 different job titles
- Retired status
Lleyton Hewitt is the first of several Australians to appear on our list of impolite tennis players.
He is a well-known player whose achievements are overshadowed by his attitude and controversies.
One of his most renowned unpleasant moments occurred at the 2001 US Open.
He was having a game with James Blake.
During the game, a black linesman twice called a foot fault on him.
Later, he accused the linesman of citing flaws because of his skin color.
In the same year, Hewitt nicknamed chair umpire Andre England net judge spastics at the French Open.
Similarly, he was fined $1000 at Wimbledon in 2002 for his unsportsmanlike behavior.
He became enraged during his match against Robin Hasse after the chair umpire called multiple foot faults.
So he shattered the racket and tapped the ball in the direction of the line judge.
Hewitt also blasted the umpire’s decision during the news conference.
7. Koellerer, Daniel
- Australian nationality
- 0 career titles
- Retired status
Unlike in other sports, the term “match-fixing” is rarely heard in tennis.
When the term “match-fixing” is mentioned, everyone immediately thinks of Daniel Koellerer.
He is also the first person to receive a lifetime ban for attempting to rig matches.
He was in violation of three different anti-corruption rules in sports.
People who enjoy and watch tennis were relieved when he was sentenced to a lifelong ban for attempting to rig a match.
In addition, he had previously spent six months of probation for his bad behavior in 2006.
Furthermore, Koellerer has a history of impolite and nasty behavior in tennis.
Julio Silva of Brazil filed complaints against him during the 2010 ATP Challenger Tour in Italy for making racial remarks to ATP.
He was accused of calling Silva a “monkey,” telling him to “go back to the forest,” and doing monkey movements.
During the Australian league that year, he also criticized his fellow Austrian, Stefan Koubek.
6. Matosevic, Marinko
- Australian nationality
- 0 career titles
- Retired status
Marinko Matesovic is not a well-known tennis player, but he is well-known for his nasty and contentious behavior.
Those who haven’t seen him play know he’s not someone you want to mess with.
In his senior career, he has had modest success. Matesovic, on the other hand, appears to have an attitude problem.
From the public and the media, he gained the moniker “Mad Dog.”
Furthermore, Matosevic isn’t hesitant to make headlines with his outrageous acts and words.
He made a contentious comment about women’s tennis in 2014, stating that he would never hire a female tennis coach like Andy Murray.
Similarly, even after defeating Nicolas Mahut in the same year, Matosevic lost his cool.
He refused to shake the umpire’s hand and kicked the on-court camera.
He once stunned everyone when he screamed at children asking for his autograph while training in Miami.
5. Tomic, Bernard
- Australian nationality
- 4 different job titles
- Active status
Bernard Tomic has been making headlines for his disciplinary actions since his early years.
Tomic asked the referee to disqualify his father during the Miami Masters in 2012.
In 2013, he was sentenced to eight months in prison for headbutting and breaking his striking partner Thomas Drouet’s nose.
Following his inappropriate actions, he was also banned from the ATP World Tour for a year.
After losing to Djokovic at Wimbledon in 2015, Tomic lashed out at Tennis Australia for a lack of respect, support, and financing.
During an interview with Channel 7, he admitted to not liking tennis and said he built his career with only 50% effort.
Following his failure to qualify for the Australian Open in 2018, he stated that he only counted the money in millions.
Similarly, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won Wimbledon in 2019.
He was fined £45,000 for failing to meet the “necessary professional standard.”
For his lack of effort in winning the match, he was afterward dubbed Tomic the Tank Engine.
Tomic’s remarks and behavior suggest that he does not respect tennis and is more concerned with money than with the sport.
4. Connors, Jimmy
- American nationality
- 109 different job titles
- Retired status
Jimmy Connors was a legendary tennis player who captivated audiences with his excellence, toughness, and love of the game.
He still holds three Open Era men’s singles records: 109 championships, 1,557 games played, and 1,274 games won.
His competitive nature, on the other hand, turned him into a fury machine.
He didn’t mind going up against the umpire, the crowd, or anybody else who stood in his way of triumph.
One of his most memorable heated incidents occurred during the 1991 US Open.
He bullied the umpire and yelled obscenities at him after making a terrible call.
According to previous reports, Jimmy Connors was the type of player who would wait in the parking lot to settle a score with his opponent.
3. Nastase, Ilie
- Romanian nationality
- 64 different job titles
- Retired status
Long before Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, Ilie Nastase was the original bad boy of tennis.
His harsh and impolite behavior on and off the court earned him the moniker “Nasty.”
When Nastase played, there was a lot of mocking, swearing, and rage.
His continuous violent behavior and statements irritated fans.
Nastase was banned after retirement for repeatedly disrespecting female players.
He began by making racial remarks about Serena Williams’ unborn kid.
Similarly, he was dismissed from the Fed Ex Cup in 2017 after cursing at Great Britain players Anne Keothavong (captain) and Johanna Konta.
2. McEnroe, John
- American nationality
- 77 different job titles
- Retired status
John McEnroe was obsessed with winning, which is not unusual, but what was unusual was how much he despised losing.
He was pettish, acid-tongued, and exemplified the entitlement mentality in many ways, and he will be remembered in tennis.
He was most likely the last player to call officials jerks or hit a ball aimed at the umpire.
McEnroe, John
At The Championships 1980, John McEnroe (USA) is about to serve.
Wimbledon’s All England Lawn Tennis Club. 1980. Photographer: AELTC/Michael Cole
He was on the verge of being ejected from a Wimbledon tournament in 1981 after cursing at the umpire and authorities.
Furthermore, the statement “you cannot be serious,” which he said to the referee, became one of tennis’ most famous quotes. The Daily Express afterward gave him the nickname “SuperBrat.”
McEnroe was dismissed from the Australian Open in 1990 after yelling at match officials during a fourth-round tie.
During his playing days, he shattered countless rackets, paid heavy fines, and served bans several times for his harsh behavior.
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1. Kyrgios, Nick
- Australian nationality
- 6 different job titles
- Active status
Nick Kyrgios is often regarded as one of tennis’ most squandered talents.
For his on-court bursts, he is regarded as the heir to John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.
He has almost certainly engaged in no unsportsmanlike behavior.
Furthermore, an entire book could be written on his exploits.
From aggressively attacking fans to tanking, ridiculing opponents, and breaking rackets, he has done it all, including ranting against the official.
So it’s hardly surprising that Kyrgios tops our list of disrespectful tennis players.
He did not play to his abilities during the 2015 Wimbledon Championships after failing to return his opponent Gasquet.
Similarly, during the 2015 Rogers Cup, he made disparaging remarks regarding Stan Wawrinka’s remarks.
ATP later suspended him for six months and fined him around $50,000.
He was banned for two months and fined $8k for insulting supporters and tanking shortly after returning from suspension in 2016.
Furthermore, he admitted to tanking in eight events in 2017.
Similarly, after leaving the US Open that year, he openly admitted to not liking tennis.
Even John McEnroe has questioned Kyrgios’ on-court demeanor and attitude.
In the tennis world, he arguably ranks first on the list of people who play fines.
Furthermore, in the 2019 Cincinnati Masters, Kyrgios was fined a record-breaking $113k for five different unsportsmanlike behaviors.
