Seven-times major champion Mats Wilander said he had never seen anything like the combustible atmosphere during the Wimbledon clash between Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas and joined calls for umpires to be stricter about players` misbehaviour.

Australian maverick Kyrgios knocked out fourth-seeded Greek Tsitsipas in a ill-tempered but high-quality third-round Court One slugfest on Saturday which often threatened to spiral out of control. Kyrgios was warned for swearing and had a running dialogue with the umpire while Tsitsipas lost his composure and tried to hit his opponent with a smash after coming close to being defaulted for hitting a ball in frustration into the crowd.

"Is it entertaining? Yes. Is it respectful? No," Wilander told Eurosport. "Is the tennis great at times? Unbelievable, because both players are such good players. And Kyrgios is so talented. "I`ve never seen anything like it. I`m not sure I want to see something like that, again, to be honest, because I don`t think this is what we want to promote in tennis. We want to not promote it as entertainment.

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"We want to promote it as inspirational, educational, but this is what people maybe want to see. I`m not sure I`m a big fan of what`s going on to be honest." In April, men`s governing body ATP warned players in an internal note that officials had been directed to take a stricter stance against on-court misconduct while its code of conduct for such violations will also be reviewed.

The 27-year-old Kyrgios has received multiple hefty fines this year and in the past and got a $10,000 one for spitting in the direction of a spectator during his match against British wildcard Paul Jubb. 
A $4,000 fine for Saturday`s abuse was added to Kyrgios`s tally while organisers said on Sunday that Tsitsipas had been fined $10,000 for slamming the tennis ball in anger.

Tsitsipas labelled Kyrgios a "bully" with "an evil side" to his character after their meeting, while the Australian responded by calling the allegations "soft" and adding that the Greek had "serious issues". 
Former French open runner-up Alex Corretja earlier told Eurosport: "The chair umpires need to be stricter. There should be respect between players and (the) chair umpire.

"The umpire needs to say: `I am the boss and you can`t just do and say whatever you like`. We love the match; we love the entertainment but we need to respect also a little bit the conditions."

Seven-times major champion Mats Wilander said he had never seen anything like the combustible atmosphere during the Wimbledon clash between Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas and joined calls for umpires to be stricter about players` misbehaviour.

Seven-times major champion Mats Wilander said he had never seen anything like the combustible atmosphere during the Wimbledon clash between Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas and joined calls for umpires to be stricter about players` misbehaviour. Australian maverick Kyrgios knocked out fourth-seeded Greek Tsitsipas in a ill-tempered but high-quality third-round Court One slugfest on Saturday which often threatened to spiral out of control. Kyrgios was warned for swearing and had a running dialogue with the umpire while Tsitsipas lost his composure and tried to hit his opponent with a smash after coming close to being defaulted for hitting a ball in frustration into the crowd. "Is it entertaining? Yes. Is it respectful? No," Wilander told Eurosport. "Is the tennis great at times? Unbelievable, because both players are such good players. And Kyrgios is so talented. "I`ve never seen anything like it. I`m not sure I want to see something like that, again, to be honest, because I don`t think this is what we want to promote in tennis. We want to not promote it as entertainment. ALSO READ | Ajla Tomljanovic downs Alize Cornet in rollercoaster outing to reach Wimbledon 2022 quarter-finals "We want to promote it as inspirational, educational, but this is what people maybe want to see. I`m not sure I`m a big fan of what`s going on to be honest." In April, men`s governing body ATP warned players in an internal note that officials had been directed to take a stricter stance against on-court misconduct while its code of conduct for such violations will also be reviewed. The 27-year-old Kyrgios has received multiple hefty fines this year and in the past and got a $10,000 one for spitting in the direction of a spectator during his match against British wildcard Paul Jubb. A $4,000 fine for Saturday`s abuse was added to Kyrgios`s tally while organisers said on Sunday that Tsitsipas had been fined $10,000 for slamming the tennis ball in anger. Tsitsipas labelled Kyrgios a "bully" with "an evil side" to his character after their meeting, while the Australian responded by calling the allegations "soft" and adding that the Greek had "serious issues". Former French open runner-up Alex Corretja earlier told Eurosport: "The chair umpires need to be stricter. There should be respect between players and (the) chair umpire. "The umpire needs to say: `I am the boss and you can`t just do and say whatever you like`. We love the match; we love the entertainment but we need to respect also a little bit the conditions."

Seven-times major champion Mats Wilander slams toxic atmosphere in Nick Kyrgios- Stefanos Tsitsipas tie

As more tournaments around the world opt for electronic line calling systems instead of human line judges, seven-times Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander says&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;is losing its intrigue and personality and is in danger of becoming an e-sport.

The Australian Open replaced on-court officials with the electronic system at the year's first Grand Slam and U.S. Open organizers&nbsp;said they would use the technology on all courts during the final major in 2021.

"I like line umpires and I liked the challenge system where we had three challenges," Wilander told Reuters.

"I thought that added something in&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;that we have lost.

"We have so many unbelievable rallies among the best players in the world at times.

"Alexander Zverev and Matteo&nbsp;Berrettini in Madrid - I mean the points that they played sometimes were just insane. But probably more than 50% of the points were not more than two shots."

Line calls are being delivered in real-time through remote-tracking cameras, removing the challenge system that allowed players to contest calls made by the judges.

"I think it was some kind of intrigue where the player had to choose," said Wilander, who helped design the NeuroTennis&nbsp;smart wristband which helps players track statistics and also provides coaching instructions.

"'Okay, is this a big enough point where I need to challenge?' I thought that was an interesting twist. It made the player think even more. Now we have no line calls. I think it just takes away some of the personality that's on the court."

The French Open remains the only major that does not use the ball-tracking system, instead of leaving the umpires to make final decisions based on marks left by the ball on the red clay.

Wilander said he thought the worst officiating in any sport was soccer but that was one of the reasons the game was so popular.

"I think it's because of the outright passion of people, human element, and human error that causes certain losses and intrigues fans," he added.

"There's an intrigue in soccer because they're not perfect, life is not perfect and soccer is not perfect.

"I think we're making&nbsp;tennis&nbsp;esports. We're not esports, we're a sport where you move around and you have human contact."

As more tournaments around the world opt for electronic line calling systems instead of human line judges, seven-times Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander says tennis is losing its intrigue and personality and is in danger of becoming an e-sport.

As more tournaments around the world opt for electronic line calling systems instead of human line judges, seven-times Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander says tennis is losing its intrigue and personality and is in danger of becoming an e-sport. The Australian Open replaced on-court officials with the electronic system at the year's first Grand Slam and U.S. Open organizers said they would use the technology on all courts during the final major in 2021. "I like line umpires and I liked the challenge system where we had three challenges," Wilander told Reuters. "I thought that added something in tennis that we have lost. "We have so many unbelievable rallies among the best players in the world at times. "Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini in Madrid - I mean the points that they played sometimes were just insane. But probably more than 50% of the points were not more than two shots." Line calls are being delivered in real-time through remote-tracking cameras, removing the challenge system that allowed players to contest calls made by the judges. "I think it was some kind of intrigue where the player had to choose," said Wilander, who helped design the NeuroTennis smart wristband which helps players track statistics and also provides coaching instructions. "'Okay, is this a big enough point where I need to challenge?' I thought that was an interesting twist. It made the player think even more. Now we have no line calls. I think it just takes away some of the personality that's on the court." The French Open remains the only major that does not use the ball-tracking system, instead of leaving the umpires to make final decisions based on marks left by the ball on the red clay. Wilander said he thought the worst officiating in any sport was soccer but that was one of the reasons the game was so popular. "I think it's because of the outright passion of people, human element, and human error that causes certain losses and intrigues fans," he added. "There's an intrigue in soccer because they're not perfect, life is not perfect and soccer is not perfect. "I think we're making tennis esports. We're not esports, we're a sport where you move around and you have human contact."

Reducing human element is turning tennis into eSport: Mats Wilander

Australian star Nick Kyrgios blasted on Mats Wilander and told him to "shut up". The Aussie said that nobody cares what he (Mats) thinks after the seven-time major winner controversially told Andy Murray to retire from tennis.

Australian star Nick Kyrgios blasted on Mats Wilander and told him to "shut up". The Aussie said that nobody cares what he (Mats) thinks after the seven-time major winner controversially told Andy Murray to retire from tennis. Also read: UAE's Al Nasr becomes first Arab club to sign Israeli footballer British player Murray slumped to his joint-worst defeat at a Grand Slam on Sunday with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 loss at the hands of Stan Wawrinka in the first round of Roland Garros. "I worry about Andy Murray. I would love to hear him say why he is out there, giving us a false sense of hope that he going to come back one day," Wilander told Eurosport. "I keep getting a little bit disappointed, is it his right to be out there doing that? Why? I did it and I shouldn't have, it was the biggest mistake I did in my career. I think Andy Murray needs to stop thinking of himself and start thinking about who he was. Does he have a right to be out there taking wildcards from the young players?" The Aussie (Kyrgios) defended the former world number one. Just read what Wilander said about @andy_murray .... shut up Mats, no one cares. Muzz, just know that how ever long you stay, we all appreciate and enjoy your tennis and banter. Also I’ve never watched a point of Mats Wilander. 😂🤦🏽‍♂️ — Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) September 28, 2020 × "Just read what Wilander said about @andy_murray .... shut up Mats, no one cares," tweeted Kyrgios. "Muzz, just know that how ever long you stay, we all appreciate and enjoy your tennis and banter. Also I've never watched a point of Mats Wilander." Murray, a three-time Grand Slam title winner and runner-up at the French Open in 2016, has undergone two hip surgeries to cure an injury which pushed him to the brink of retirement. (Inputs from AFP)

'Shut up': Australia's Kyrgios blasts at Wilander over Murray remarks

The Davis Cup must not try to compete with the soon-to-be-launched ATP Cup and revert to its traditional home and away format, according to Swedish great Mats Wilander.

In a controversial move the International Tennis Federation (ITF) this year voted to revamp the 118-year-old team event which is known for its partisan, soccer-like crowds.

Instead of a year-long draw in which ties are played on the home soil of one of the nations involved, including the final, a week-long 18-nation event, backed to the tune of $3 billion by investment group Kosmos, will kick off in Madrid next November.

Next weekend's Davis Cup final in Lille's Stade Pierre Mauroy, where hosts and defending champions France take on Croatia, will be the last of its kind.

Wilander says the ITF should think again.

"I think the Davis Cup is in the middle of reorganising but they are not really knowing exactly what they need to do to get it back on track," Wilander, who won three finals with Sweden, told Reuters in an interview at the ATP Finals in London.

"They should not be competing with the ATP Cup.

"Davis Cup must be home and away and inspire local enthusiasts. To take away, for example, Belgium's chance to play at home in the Davis Cup semi-final and put them on neutral ground, that's crazy."

Next year's Davis Cup will still have home and away ties -- but only in the first round. The winners will go forward to the 18-nation finals played at the Caja Magica. Wilander says that is the wrong way round.

"The Davis Cup should be home and away from the semi-finals as a minimum, I would say even the quarters," he said.

"Roger Federer doesn't want to play a first round perhaps in Kazakhstan. But a semi-final in Basel, in front of 20,000 Swiss fans? Of course he will. It's detrimental.

"If David Goffin gets to the quarter-finals of the French Open some diehards in Belgium will tune in. If Belgium is playing semi-finals of Davis Cup at home, 50 percent of sports fans will tune in.

"That's what the little kid with his mum and dad remembers. I bet 50 percent of the top 100 players remember watching (the) Davis Cup before they watched, maybe not Wimbledon, but certainly before the other Slams or ATP tournaments."

Wilander says next week's final will be a massive event in France, all the more reason to leave the format alone.

"You want to take that away?" Wilander said. "France is perhaps the biggest tennis nation but they don't have much to cheer at the French Open. The Davis Cup is a chance for French players to win something big, in France."

ATP CUP HOPES

The ATP Cup, featuring 24 nations, was launched by the ATP Tour this week in London and will start in January 2020 in three Australian cities -- just before the Australian Open and six weeks after the first edition of the new Davis Cup.

"It's a brilliant idea," Wilander said. "It gives players a team competition because Davis Cup is not always convenient for the player. I hope it's a massive success."

And as for the Davis Cup's new model, Wilander said: "Maybe if it would be a failure the ITF would go back and look at it, fine tune what they had instead of changing everything."

World number one Novak Djokovic, who won the Cup with Serbia in Belgrade, said players would miss the frenzied home support.

"The home-and-away was probably the very thing that attracted all the players and fans to this competition," Djokovic, who attended the launch of the ATP Cup, said.

"At the same time in order to change something, you also need to sacrifice something. I guess for this kind of a format change, you had to take away something, and that was it."

The Davis Cup must not try to compete with the soon-to-be-launched ATP Cup and revert to its traditional home and away format, according to Swedish great Mats Wilander.

The Davis Cup must not try to compete with the soon-to-be-launched ATP Cup and revert to its traditional home and away format, according to Swedish great Mats Wilander. In a controversial move the International Tennis Federation (ITF) this year voted to revamp the 118-year-old team event which is known for its partisan, soccer-like crowds. Instead of a year-long draw in which ties are played on the home soil of one of the nations involved, including the final, a week-long 18-nation event, backed to the tune of $3 billion by investment group Kosmos, will kick off in Madrid next November. Next weekend's Davis Cup final in Lille's Stade Pierre Mauroy, where hosts and defending champions France take on Croatia, will be the last of its kind. Wilander says the ITF should think again. "I think the Davis Cup is in the middle of reorganising but they are not really knowing exactly what they need to do to get it back on track," Wilander, who won three finals with Sweden, told Reuters in an interview at the ATP Finals in London. "They should not be competing with the ATP Cup. "Davis Cup must be home and away and inspire local enthusiasts. To take away, for example, Belgium's chance to play at home in the Davis Cup semi-final and put them on neutral ground, that's crazy." Next year's Davis Cup will still have home and away ties -- but only in the first round. The winners will go forward to the 18-nation finals played at the Caja Magica. Wilander says that is the wrong way round. "The Davis Cup should be home and away from the semi-finals as a minimum, I would say even the quarters," he said. "Roger Federer doesn't want to play a first round perhaps in Kazakhstan. But a semi-final in Basel, in front of 20,000 Swiss fans? Of course he will. It's detrimental. "If David Goffin gets to the quarter-finals of the French Open some diehards in Belgium will tune in. If Belgium is playing semi-finals of Davis Cup at home, 50 percent of sports fans will tune in. "That's what the little kid with his mum and dad remembers. I bet 50 percent of the top 100 players remember watching (the) Davis Cup before they watched, maybe not Wimbledon, but certainly before the other Slams or ATP tournaments." Wilander says next week's final will be a massive event in France, all the more reason to leave the format alone. "You want to take that away?" Wilander said. "France is perhaps the biggest tennis nation but they don't have much to cheer at the French Open. The Davis Cup is a chance for French players to win something big, in France." ATP CUP HOPES The ATP Cup, featuring 24 nations, was launched by the ATP Tour this week in London and will start in January 2020 in three Australian cities -- just before the Australian Open and six weeks after the first edition of the new Davis Cup. "It's a brilliant idea," Wilander said. "It gives players a team competition because Davis Cup is not always convenient for the player. I hope it's a massive success." And as for the Davis Cup's new model, Wilander said: "Maybe if it would be a failure the ITF would go back and look at it, fine tune what they had instead of changing everything." World number one Novak Djokovic, who won the Cup with Serbia in Belgrade, said players would miss the frenzied home support. "The home-and-away was probably the very thing that attracted all the players and fans to this competition," Djokovic, who attended the launch of the ATP Cup, said. "At the same time in order to change something, you also need to sacrifice something. I guess for this kind of a format change, you had to take away something, and that was it."

Wilander criticises Davis Cup revamp as 'last' final looms

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Seven-times major champion Mats Wilander slams toxic atmosphere in Nick Kyrgios- Stefanos Tsitsipas tie

Reducing human element is turning tennis into eSport: Mats Wilander

'Shut up': Australia's Kyrgios blasts at Wilander over Murray remarks

Wilander criticises Davis Cup revamp as 'last' final looms