“Nick Kyrgios, Alexander Zverev etc’s behaviour is partly responsible for this” Tennis fans erupt in anger after player slaps his opponent after losing

Tennis all over the world is played with a lot of respect, humility and passion. But some actions stain the sport completely. Recently a promising young tennis player from France, Michael Kouame slapped his opponent Raphael Nii Ankrah right across his face after losing the match. Kouame was participating in the International Tennis Federation juniors tournament in Accra, Ghana. 

Raphael Nii Akrah was the lower ranked player and the underdog in this match against the Frenchman. However, Ankrah won the match 6-2, 7-6, 7-6 to progress through to the next round. Things were no indication among the players that something of this magnitude would have happened after the match. The players came to the net to shake hands and then Kouame took a blow at Ankrah. 

Immediately a lot of people rushed to the court to stop the young tennis players. Especially, Ankrah as he was in the mood to retaliate. Scenes from the stadium shows how people around are trying to calm both the boys down as Kouame continues to instigate Ankrah. 

It is still unclear why Kouame had to resort to such unsportsmanlike action. We also don’t have any information on what kind of disciplinary action will be taken against him for the slap. 

Ranked No.589 in the ITF Junior Rankings, Kouame was the No.1 seed heading into the tournament. He has also entered the tournament in Doubles. Raphael Ankrah who started as the underdog is ranked 1708 will now progress through to the next round as he is scheduled to face compatriot Ishmael Nii Nortey Dowuona in the second round.

ATP warn of stricter penalties for misconduct following incidents involving Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev

Recently ATP has also put on a tough stance on on-court outbursts and misconduct after recent episodes of such kinds seen from players like Alexander Zverev and Nick Kyrgios. 

Earlier fans and critics have pointed fingers at the ATP for being too soft as the penalties were not quite in the right place earlier. Penalties like outright ban and heft fine have been introduced as ATP take these matters seriously. 

“Effective immediately and as we head into the clay court swing, the ATP officiating team has been directed to take a stricter stance in judging violations of the Code of Conduct. Additionally, we are also undertaking a review of the Code, as well as the disciplinary processes, to ensure that it provides appropriate and up-to-date penalties for serious violations and repeat offenders.”

“The first three months of the season have seen an unusual frequency of high-profile incidents involving unsportsmanlike conduct. These incidents shine a bad light on our sport. This conduct affects everyone, and sends the wrong message to our fans, especially young fans,” ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said as a warning from ATP on issuing more stricter bans on players for misconduct on court. 

Also Read: ATP warns of harsh penalties for misconduct after Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Zverev’s on-court outbursts

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