Sometimes you just have to let off a bit of steam. We’ve all been there. But, while for most of us, such moments are forgotten as quickly as they happen, for the stars of tennis in the internet age the misdeeds last forever.
So, in honour of notorious racquet smasher Daniil Medvedev’s destruction of a net camera on Tuesday, we are counting down the top 10 racquet-smashing tantrums on a tennis court. Here goes:
10 – Alexander Zverev goes airborne
This one is both a cautionary tale and a flight of fancy. When going for a racquet smash a firm grip is essential, lest your racquet take flight. We’ll take it as a sign of the German’s exasperation. Either that or it was a piece of brilliant viral marketing for FedEx’s air freight delivery service.
9 – Grigor Dimitrov quickly goes from boil to simmer
There are times in life when we are overcome with emotion, but one must always maintain decorum. In a perfect display of this concept, Grigor Dimitrov took the opportunity to use one racquet to smash another out of frustration in Istanbul, before tossing a third and shaking the hand of the smiling referee. Chivalry never goes out of style.
8 – Serena 1. Racquet 0
Where would this list be without a bit of Serena? She brings an unmatched elegance and poise to smashing racquets, and for that reason, we’ve selected her 2013 Australian Open performance. Note the speed and power with which she breaks the racquet, and then the composure with which she sits and is shaded by an attendant. If you’re going to go for the classic, do it like Serena.
7 – Chill out, umpire: I didn’t smash it
While not technically a broken racquet, we thought it was brave of Italian Fabio Fognini to realise he was losing a game and immediately audition for a whole other sport, javelin, during the 2017 Rio Open. It’s that kind of forward-thinking that makes a player a winner.
6 – Added style points for Daria Saville
Saville broke both a racquet and new ground when she debuted the now iconic sitting-to-standing smash at the end of a first-round loss. She put some athleticism into this one, and for that, we salute her.
5 – Andre Agassi stars in My Left Foot
The standard racquet smashing experience usually involves a crouched position and repeated impact with the court, but not so for Agassi. In a 2003 Tennis Masters Cup match against Juan Carlos Ferrero, the American used the back of his foot to snap a racquet, prompting the commentators to say “You don’t often see that.” Indeed!
4 – Kyrgios’ ‘bathroom break’
Sometimes nature calls. Sometimes nature calls and asks you to bring two tennis racquets with you. This one doesn’t need much explanation, but if you are ever in need of the facilities during a tennis tournament, and you see Nick Kyrgios coming, it might be worth stepping to the side.
3 – Benoit Paire claims it was ‘broken already’
We’ve all done it before, knocked over a lamp or broken a friend’s toy and pretended it was already like that when we got there. But to claim your racquet was “broken already” after smashing it into the ground repeatedly while being watched by a referee, spectators and TV camera’s is pretty bold.
2 – Triple treat from Kyrgios
Sometimes racquet smashes should be studied scientifically. In this case, with close observation, you can note that Kyrgios, like in his game, prefers his right arm when it comes to destroying a racquet. After picking up and breaking one racquet with his right hand, he grabs another with his left and passes it to his right. Then he grabs a third with his right. It’s the small details that are telling in these subtle shows of frustration! Extra points for the young man who delivers a quick dab from the front row.
1 – Put it in the Louvre: Baghdatis delivers a thing of beauty
What’s better than breaking three racquets? Breaking four!
Two sets down against Wawrinka and with his 2012 Australian Open dreams fading before his eyes, Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis pulled four racquets out of his bag and smashed them one by one.
His display may have been his secret weapon because he took the next set, but ended up losing in the fourth. We’re sure the court attendants were grateful he didn’t waste any time unwrapping the racquets before walloping them.
Watch all the Australian Open action live on Nine, 9Now and Stan.
