Electric New York Energy Reignites Etiquette Debate

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

Coverage: Live power commentaries crossed 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website & app

The changeless sound from horn-honking taxis and sirens. The dazzling lights of nan Manhattan skyline. The buzz of millions wandering astir 'The City That Never Sleeps'.

The pulsating power of New York is for illustration nary other.

So it is possibly not astonishing location has been a charged atmosphere astatine this year's US Open.

"New York City tends to bring retired a batch of drama," said American 4th seed Jessica Pegula.

"The crowds are beautiful crazy. They benignant of get everyone riled up.

"And it's nan past Grand Slam of nan play - your past chance to spell heavy for a while."

The hostility has led to arguments complete on-court etiquette - aliases nan deficiency of it - pinch nett cords, underarm serves and assemblage shots each nether scrutiny.

BBC Sport examines nan contentious incidents that person sparked statement astatine Flushing Meadows - and you tin show america what you deliberation astir them.

When erstwhile French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko accused Taylor Townsend of not saying sorry for a nett cord that went successful her favour, nan perceived deficiency of etiquette - arsenic good arsenic Ostapenko's guidance - turned into a heated row.

A net-cord victor is erstwhile a subordinate wins a constituent because their changeable hits nan portion of nan nett and falls retired of scope of their helpless opponent.

Usually nan script brings an apologetic raise of nan manus from nan subordinate who has benefitted.

"In this case, location was really a mates much shots that happened earlier nan extremity of nan point," Chanda Rubin, a erstwhile world number six and BBC Radio 5 Live analyst, said.

"So I don't deliberation it was a large faux pas connected Taylor's part, moreover if you conscionable see communal courtesy.

"We really telephone it a faux-pology, because it's not existent anyway."

Not apologising for nett cords is not seen arsenic a large woody successful nan United States.

Italy's Fabio Fognini recovered that retired erstwhile American Jenson Brooksby grounded to apologise successful an Auckland Open lucifer successful 2022.

"I was taught that it's not really luck-based," Brooksby shrugged afterwards.

Britain's Cameron Norrie - schooled successful nan cut-throat world of nan US assemblage strategy - besides does not find a deficiency of an apology rude.

"Even conscionable acknowledging a small spot is nan correct etiquette, but for me, honestly, I don't care," nan world number 35 told BBC Sport.

"If a feline hits a dormant nett cord and doesn't opportunity anything, I don’t attraction astatine all."

Another ploy that is not against nan rules - but riles up galore - is nan underarm serve.

Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Bublik are notable proponents of nan move. They spot it arsenic a morganatic maneuver against an force who is stood heavy down nan baseline.

Others reason it shows a deficiency of professionalism and is disrespectful, peculiarly if utilized against an ailing force - for illustration France's Corentin Moutet did against location favourite Alexei Popyrin astatine this year's Australian Open.

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas intelligibly dislikes them.

The two-time awesome finalist was incensed by force Daniel Altmaier serving underarm during their second-round match, starring to a terse handshake and an animated chat pursuing nan German's win.

Some US Open fans person shown they agree.

A information of nan Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd jeered erstwhile Bublik and Arthur Rinderknech unsuccessfully went underarm successful one-sided fourth-round defeats by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz respectively.

"Sometimes we person off-days wherever definite things doesn't work," Sinner, nan men's world number one, said.

"At nan extremity of nan day, we effort to make nan athletics arsenic absorbing arsenic possible."

Never acrophobic to do things differently, nan unorthodox Bublik was besides booed erstwhile he started drop-shotting a hampered Tommy Paul towards nan extremity of their third-round match.

Hitting an inviting short shot astatine an force who has moved towards nan nett is different communal flashpoint.

Tsitsipas, regularly astatine nan centre of drama, decided tagging Altmaier was adjacent crippled pursuing his opponent's underarm serve.

"Next time, don't wonderment why I deed you, OK? I'm conscionable saying, if you service underarm…" Tsitsipas told Altmaier astatine nan net.

It is not nan first clip Tsitsipas has drawn ire for trying this tactic.

Targeting Arthur Fils' assemblage successful Rome earlier this twelvemonth did not salary off, arsenic nan incident fuelled nan Frenchman connected his measurement to victory.

Doubles subordinate Andrea Vavassori was little pleased successful Monte Carlo erstwhile he was struck successful nan ribs by American force Ben Shelton - who past labelled nan Italian "soft".

Norrie thinks hitting a shot astatine an force is adjacent game.

"Obviously you apologise but I deliberation that's a perfectly bully play - it’s usually nan champion action to spell middle," he said.

"It’s bully to admit what you’ve done but you move on, man.

"If you're deed pinch a tennis shot it's not nan extremity of nan world - it's not for illustration we’re playing rugby."