Daria Kasatkina not in favour of ‘trash-talking’ between tennis players
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Daria Kasatkina returning a shot to Madison Keys in the Charleston Open quarter-finals in South Carolina on April 7, 2023. She is against "trash-talking" in an intelligent sport.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
World No. 8 Daria Kasatkina has given the thumbs down to the idea of “trash-talking” between professional tennis players, saying that disparaging or boastful comments under the guise of banter would not work well in an “intelligent” sport.
After Frances Tiafoe called on tennis to loosen its strict rules governing the behaviour of fans at matches to help attract young crowds, fellow Americans Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff said they would not mind some “trash-talking” too.
Pegula added at the Charleston Open this week that she would like to have one event every year where “everything goes” to see how players and fans react, but Kasatkina said it may not work as it does in other sports.
“For me, tennis is a bit different. I think it’s not going to work, in my opinion. I think tennis must be a little bit on the side of it,” Kasatkina, who beat Madison Keys 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-2 in a battle of former champions to reach the semi-finals, told the Tennis Channel.
“I know fighters, basketball players especially in the United States, it’s very popular thing.
“We’re not from United States, so, we’re not used to it. I was always educated by the way that tennis is an intelligent sport. So, I will go with that.”
Pegula’s Twitter post this week on whether “trash-talking” should be encouraged received many positive responses, with American youngster Ben Shelton volunteering to start immediately at the Estoril Open.
Spain’s Paula Badosa said at the Charleston Open she was also in favour of the idea.
“I’m in... traditionally tennis is polite, but why not? It’s a new generation, it could be a change, different and fun. But I don’t know if women could take that,” Badosa, who lost to Pegula 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) in the last eight at Charleston, said.
“Maybe they take it a bit more personally, but on the men’s side, I can see it for sure.”
Pegula has a semi-final clash with defending champion Belinda Bencic, as the top four seeds advanced at the clay-court tournament.
Pegula, who is seeking her first clay court title, will have her work cut out against Bencic, who is chasing her third title of the season after victories in Adelaide and Abu Dhabi.
Switzerland’s Bencic, seeded fourth, won her ninth straight match in Charleston when she beat seventh-seeded Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-3.
Second-seeded Ons Jabeur advanced when Anna Kalinskaya retired from their quarter-final because of illness. She was up 6-0, 4-1 when her opponent called it a day, the Tunisian reaching the semi-finals for the third straight year.
She will next face third-seeded Kasatkina. REUTERS, AFP
