After a much enjoyed off season, tennis kicked off early in January and in earnest the past fortnight with the Australian Open. Yet after not even a month, I can do with another off season in tennis. It's not the level of tennis that has tired me, it is the constant stream of negativity that is currently surrounding tennis. While I appreciate journalists being critical of players when warranted, tennis seems about stirring the pot when we need not to stir it and blow issues out of proportion in a magnitude that leaves me wondering, what the hell happened. Federer loses a match, he is done, Vika Azarenka takes an ill timed MTO and gets a little lost in translation post-match and she is nearly burned at the stake, and lets not begin to mention the grunting, I am so sick of the talk about grunting. And this is just the mere top of the iceberg. There is drama every corner we turn.
And if there isn't over-negativity, there is a turn to over-positivism. Yes, Na Li fought bravely through two falls during her final, but calling her a hero, really is a step too far.
Can we go back to a middle ground, give praise where it is due and a critical note when warranted, but can we keep in mind that after all is said and done, we are talking about tennis, not Days of our Lives.
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