Peter Stebbings -
Fernando Verdasco’s treatment of a ball boy who failed to bring him his sweaty towel fast enough has thrust tennis players’ attitudes towards the child volunteers into the spotlight, and could prompt changes.
The 34-year-old Spaniard has not commented on the incident, when he aggressively gesticulated at a ball boy to hurry up during last month’s Shenzhen Open in China.
The footage went viral on social media and saw Verdasco heavily criticised.
Judy Murray, the former British Fed Cup captain and mother of three-time Grand Slam winner Andy, tweeted: “What about a rule that makes players get their own towels?”
Others, while condemning Verdasco’s behaviour, said he is by no means the first tennis player to treat a ball kid harshly.
Last week at the China Open, the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka was caught in footage shaking an empty bottle in the apparent direction of a ball boy, before tossing it on the floor.
“I don’t care how good a tennis player you are but this type of behaviour needs to STOP,” tweeted Anne Keothavong, Britain’s Fed Cup captain.
At this week’s Shanghai Masters, Roger Federer said tennis sets the standard for many sports when it comes to respectful behaviour — and that must extend to the treatment of ball boys and girls.
“The ball kids are really important to us because they are also maybe the future of our game, like I was,” said the Swiss, a ball boy before going on to become a 20-time Grand Slam champion.
But Federer, 37, said emotions run high in the heat of a match and that tennis is more intense now than in the past.
In 2015 Novak Djokovic, now a 14-time Grand Slam winner, apologised to a Wimbledon ball girl after he screamed in her direction.
The Verdasco incident, in particular, highlighted the issue of ball kids being asked to handle sweaty and snotty towels for players, many of whom like to wipe their faces after each point.
One solution is a towel rack at the back of the court.
That will be tested out at next month’s Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
World number one Rafael Nadal has spoken out, saying he is not a fan because it will slow matches down.
Kei Nishikori, Japan’s world number 12, agrees.
“Maybe I don’t prefer that one. Maybe that may take some time.” —AFP
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