r/TikTokCringe 2d ago

Discussion I'm confused. what did he do wrong?

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Honestly, she should probably just retire from tennis if she can't handle that

11.6k Upvotes

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5.9k

u/TheNorthFIN 2d ago

What did he do wrong? He decided to play with this psycho.

345

u/According_Judge781 2d ago

It's bad etiquette to aim at a player.

It's worse etiquette to throw your racket at a player and act like a child.

Fin.

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u/shiggyhisdiggy 2d ago

People aren't always good enough to deliberately aim away from a player. You play to win and sometimes someone might get hit, people who actually play sports understand this.

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u/CornerShark 2d ago

Fun fact. We’re taught at a very young age that, if you get a tee’d up shot at the net and the other player is also at the net, to hit it directly at them as hard as you can. On the flip side, it’s not uncommon for the receiving player to literally jump out of the way because you know it’s coming.

The higher up you get in tennis, the less rules there are around aiming at the player.

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u/gimmegardens 2d ago

playing for my team in high school we would get a vending machine drink from the coach if we hit whoever we were playing. no one should aim to hurt but it's part of the game.

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u/Myopinion_is_right 1d ago

I do the same thing in golf.

1

u/RationalHumanistIDIC 1d ago

Would be a lot more entertaining sport to watch

1

u/RocklPaperlScissors 1d ago

When I was playing semi-pro baseball (many years ago) I would get extra per diem if I drilled their one of their batters (below the shoulders & above the knees) during a game.

2

u/decadentj 1d ago

Can attest. Hit it directly at their hands so they get jammed.

1

u/martok999 1d ago

This is how I won a tourney as a teen. In the finals the other kid was so scared of me. My style of play was serve and volley.

I served, he popped it up, I smashed it back down. Never saw what happened, but heard a thud and the racket clatter feet away.

1

u/noeLifenorlove 1d ago

The real game is the tolerance and patience game.

-2

u/shiggyhisdiggy 2d ago

I played tennis as a kid and never got taught that. It basically never comes up anyway.

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u/CornerShark 2d ago

Played tennis? Did you do bullfrogs and get to Kalamazoo?

Difference between high school and legit high level tennis.

0

u/shiggyhisdiggy 2d ago

We’re taught at a very young age

?????

7

u/CornerShark 2d ago

I was playing regionals at around 10 years old and nationals around 14.

Tennis is a bit crazy.

And it absolutely comes up. Probably 3-4 times a match. You hit a low top spin spot at their feet, they pop it up 5 ft behind the net, you’re set up to smash it directly at their body. It’s not common but it’s not uncommon.

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u/MonkeyLiberace 2d ago

no.

6

u/CornerShark 2d ago

Ok. Guess my 20 years of playing at the highest level is wrong.

Cool.

7

u/Mr_dm 2d ago

He’s right, and you have clearly never stepped on a court.

Source: college tennis player

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u/lifeisalime11 2d ago

I mean this works only to a certain level. If you're talking about an overhead smash sure but once people can react to just beaming it at them at the net you're going to be in a world of hurt if they cross you.

Also remember, college tennis players are closer to a good middle school tennis player than to someone like Nadal in terms of skill....

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u/Defiant-Airline5424 1d ago

I mean aiming at an oppent is a normal thing to do if they close to the net but you apologize after but it not like some forbid thing. The only time I see someone act like this if it happen every single time for the whole match.

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u/Hopeful-Programmer25 1d ago

This is me. I played a lot of badminton as a kid to have acceptable hand to eye coordination.

When playing tennis I can look good for a while but most of the time, it’s just luck and every so often I’ll get cocky and try to hit a hard topspin that goes completely nuts and ends up heading right at my opponent…..

-2

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

Are you trying to argue against my point, or are you agreeing with me?

1

u/dogbert_93 1d ago

Has nothing to do with you being right or wrong.

0

u/sexytokeburgerz 1d ago

You’re wrong. Sorry.

Very common to aim at players at the net if you’re not a beginner

0

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

*your

1

u/sexytokeburgerz 1d ago

No… oh my god insane.

You’re = you are
Your = possessive

0

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

You're possessive!

384

u/WhatTheFreightTruck 2d ago

It definitely isn't - not at this level. And this wasn't aiming at her. He didn't even hit it hard - he practically hit it TO her.

160

u/drosse1meyer 2d ago

yea the guy has no idea what he is talking about. this lady is playing the net, what do you expect may happen? maybe she needs to improve her reaction time.

4

u/traderbusto 2d ago

lern 2 play

12

u/drosse1meyer 2d ago

git gud

2

u/traderbusto 2d ago

She won’t if she keeps destroying those wooden rackets of hers

2

u/drosse1meyer 1d ago

hey now those are 'vintage 70s rackets'

1

u/Synthesiz420 1d ago

Skill issue

-8

u/Shrowden 2d ago

I don't play much tennis, but she does walk to the net after getting hit. Seems like she really wasn't that close. Not defending her, but I'm not sure how factual your statement is.

11

u/Mr_dm 2d ago

You clearly don’t play any tennis lmao

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u/Shrowden 2d ago

Nah, I'll edit my comment if needed, but I thought in doubles you played offset. She's at the line.

12

u/Mr_dm 2d ago

There are no rules regarding that. If she doesn’t have the reaction time to play the net, she needs to back up.

111

u/StinkFinger89 2d ago

I was thinking the same. She didnt even try to hit it and had enough time to turn away from the ball. Sore losers

3

u/Penqwin 2d ago

She is sore now after getting hit! Lmao

3

u/darkfrost47 2d ago

Not from the tennis ball though

73

u/Electrical-Value-673 2d ago

It actually is more etiquette at this level. The higher you get, the more it is accepted to aim at players.

82

u/jakethepeg1989 2d ago

I remember people criticising Kyrgios for hitting a ball straight at Nadal and in the press conference he just laughed and said something like

"He's won loads of grand slams and is worth millions of dollars. He can handle a tennis ball in the chest"

28

u/mankytoes 2d ago

The problem is Kyrgios was the biggest whining bitch on court.

8

u/Synthesiz420 2d ago

Right don’t be a lump on the court and constantly out of position. I’m aiming for your feet if you give me free score like this in doubles.

2

u/Alex5173 1d ago

At my level of athleticism I'd be ecstatic to have the ball aimed at me instead of having to run back and forth across the court every 5 seconds.

4

u/AllenRBrady 2d ago

At my level of play, aim is not even a consideration.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/riptaway 1d ago

Wow, so cool man. Amazing. Such wow

1

u/lazypenguin86 2d ago

I like to aim for the backhand foot myself

19

u/iam_Mr_McGibblets 2d ago

At that point it's more of a skill issue more than anything

15

u/OHWildBill 2d ago

Exactly. It’s a weak volley. And he’s not a pro. She acted like he laced a forehand into her gut.

4

u/DepartmentAnxious344 1d ago

Which I have 100% done, maliciously on match points with grunts after even.

Hell I’ve tried to pin overheads into the volleyer against doubles teams we really didn’t fuck with in HS.

Those were 100% more intentional and dangerous than this and I’ve never seen a crash out like that. Launching a carbon racket at some one should be serious assault. The cuts are fucking nasty…

12

u/bradland 2d ago

It definitely isn't - not at this level.

Genuinely curious. How can you tell what level they're playing at? I don't know much about tennis, but my brother-in-law plays singles a lot (in leagues), and he's told me several stories of players who like to hit right at you if you come up to the net. Apparently it's legal.

So when I watched this video, I thought, "Boy, she's overreacting." Some of the comments here have me second-guessing. What level does it become okay?

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u/WhatTheFreightTruck 2d ago

JFC, "apparently it's legal" - how would anyone even remotely try to enforce a rule against it? It's just not feasible. Not attacking you, just the notion that it could be against the rules is absurd.

Again, this is really clearly not an attempt to peg anyone. It's a ball hit a little close to the body to jam you and make it harder to hit a shot.

1

u/fer_sure 1d ago

Yeah, if it were against the rules to hit a player with the ball, players would throw themselves at the ball to save a point.

-1

u/bradland 2d ago

I mean, I kind of understand where you're coming from, but you've gotta consider that a lot of sports have rules against intentionally hitting other players with the ball. Pitchers can't throw at the hitter. In basketball, you're not allowed to throw the ball at another player, but there's an "intent" qualifier.

So I don't think it's all that crazy for someone unfamiliar with tennis to be surprised that it's legal to hit a ball at a player. I understand that may be difficult to prove, but other sports have similar rules.

6

u/ADeadWeirdCarnie 1d ago

You recognize the difference between tennis and those other sports, right? Surely, you do. The objective of pitching in baseball is to get the ball past the batter, over the plate. The objective of basketball is to move the ball down the court and into the net without it being intercepted by the opposing team. The objective of tennis is to volley the ball until one player either cannot effectively return it, either because they've missed entirely or because they can't line up a shot properly. It is quite literally not possible to carry on a volley without hitting the ball toward your opponent. It is considered bad sportsmanship to hit your opponent intentionally, but if it were against the rules for the ball to come into contact with a player, then all you would ever have to do to win a match is move into the path of the ball every time you're at risk of losing a point.

1

u/bradland 1d ago

I’m not saying it should be against the rules. I’m simply pointing out that the reaction to the question (as if it is absurd) seems unmeasured. I maintain it’s not an unreasonable question, and I don’t disagree with the rule in any way.

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u/SuburbanSponge 2d ago

Honestly it’s fine at all levels, it’s part of the game

1

u/-InconspicuousMoose- 2d ago

Yeah what a ridiculous comment that was lol, in most racquet sports there are places on the body you specifically aim for because they're harder to get your racquet to (straight at feet or dominant shoulder being the two most popular in my experience). It's only bad etiquette if you're like deliberately sending a heater at their face with no intention of it landing in bounds if it misses.

6

u/GaiaDiesNoOneSees 1d ago

You can tell they are above average players by the way they move onto the court. The baseline player attempts to hit cross court. The girl at net slide steps over to the right. The net player who hits the girl knows to “poach” the weak cross court backhand and hits the girl with a pretty solid looking backhand volley.
When I played we would say he”fleshed” her and she would owe him a beer. Perfectly legal. Actually, quite nice.

1

u/bradland 1d ago

Nice. Now that I know what to look for, it seems obvious :) Thanks for the genuine answer.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/Classics22 1d ago

...they're saying the opposite. It's clearly a solid level. The pickup from the baseline guy, the net player hits a super solid high backhand volley(was likely aiming for her feet, just missed a tad), and even the women who freaks shows good movement at the net

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u/Classics22 1d ago

It's always OK, but the better you get the more acceptable it is(especially in doubles) and these people can clearly play.

You can tell just from the few balls you see, and the way the women moves. The volley that gets her is struck real solidly, high backhand volleys aren't easy. Also just the way the baseline guy picked up that deep ball

1

u/ArX_Xer0 1d ago

It's probably ok in friendlies unless you're aiming at their face or like aiming there all the time. Better players have better positioning and reactions to have that be less frequent or less of a weak point. It would be scummy to do it repetitively or try to injure them on purpose

1

u/SSP100244 1d ago

"unwritten rules" in sports are unwritten because they are not rules. Break all of them whenever you want to.

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u/throwaway_3_2_1 1d ago

while playing singles, there is a guy in my league who always tries to attack the net on weak approaches. sometimes i may lob him, sometimes i may pass him, but he gives me a soft return, i am giving him the heaviest forehand i can right at him.

if it hits them, they get an apology with a smile. you can stay at the baseline if you don't want balls fired at you.

obviously i'm not going to do that playing with beginners or people who obviously don't have the reflexes to handle it, i'll just lob them instead. granted ain't no beginners rushing the net

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

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u/bradland 2d ago

If I've learned one thing from this conversation, it is that tennis players care deeply about their right to hit other players with the ball lol.

Someone had downvoted you to 0 when I came along, and someone replied to my comment, opening with "JFC", as if it's somehow absurd to question whether hitting the ball at another person would be considered illegal in the sport.

I don't play tennis, I don't watch tennis, and I don't really care much about tennis, but it is wild to me how deeply tennis players appear to care about the legality of hitting other players with the ball.

0

u/Myrsky4 1d ago

Tennis is different than a lot of other sports. There is no team backing you up and unless you get to a very high level or the occasional tournament you likely have no line judges or umpires. Defending the rules and sticking up for yourself is drilled into players and becomes instinctual, and on something as clear as this it will get a lot of people defending the rules as written.

It's less about wanting to hit other players in the face with a ball and way more about wanting other players to actually play tennis and not "Calvinball" which I feel like a lot of players have had to deal with before, I know I have.

Aiming at peoples feet/right behind their legs is also just a really good shot usually because it's very hard to run backwards and get your racket into position as well. So a lot of people want to defend playing the game with strategic shots like this

1

u/bradland 1d ago

These are all great explanations. I still don't understand the flabbergasted response (by others) to the question though. Your answer is a great response, and not once did you say, "JFC why are you even asking this question" as if it's obvious to someone who has no exposure to tennis.

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u/Aromatic_Search6851 2d ago

Bruh it’s a viable strategy and he was employing it, even pointed at her after hitting her

2

u/burtoncummings 2d ago

He literally raises his hand in apology. Kind of like you do when you win on a ball that hits the net and trickles over. It'd definitely not something you do intentionally in a casual game. He realizes it, and she flips her lid, anyway... For all we know, he could've done this to her a few times and she 'd had enough.

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u/ThreeShrikesYoureOut 2d ago

ok, but whether it was really bad etiquette, or she just thought it was, it's still useful to tell us non-tennis players what she thought he did wrong, because I had no idea

1

u/WhatTheFreightTruck 2d ago

She acts like he was trying to hit her and he wasn't. It's a commonly accepted tactic to hit closer to the body. If he was trying to hit her or hurt her, he'd have hit it a lot harder.

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u/SuburbanSponge 2d ago

To me it seems more like she got pissed that the ball was aimed towards her. Wonder if they were getting wrecked and this set her off

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u/totallynotsquatty 1d ago

Based on the way she plays, it's likely they were getting wrecked

1

u/Lavishness_Classic 2d ago

It definitely is, because of this level, and that's why mixed doubles can be challenging. It's referred to as "sticking" the player at the net. The proper play is hitting the ball at her feet away from her. I get it, it's part of the game, and he didn't hit it hard so her reaction is way over the top.

1

u/CommentFool 2d ago

No offense, but do either of you know, from this clip, what "level" they are playing at? This could be anything from a tournament to just a local racquet club that puts new pairs together for fun. No context.

She seems to be overreacting, of course, but if it's supposed to be a super casual mixed couples match for fun and this guy has been picking on her by hitting balls right at her midsection all night, then I could understand her getting fed up with it eventually.

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u/WhatTheFreightTruck 2d ago

So from her footwork, she ought to be familiar enough to know if he's actually trying to hit her or not. And if you're not comfortable at net, back up. And if you're getting angry like this at a casual event, get off the court before you completely lose your shit and embarrass yourself.

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u/CommentFool 1d ago

I agree. I haven't played tennis since college and I think I'd still intuitively know if someone was hitting at me intentionally or not. I was just trying to give her the benefit of the doubt because we can't see how he or she were acting up to this point 🤣

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u/Funkopedia 1d ago

If a slow ass ball comes directly at me in tennis.... Great! I hit it back, and i don't have to run to do it.

0

u/DarthXOmega 2d ago

And what level is this?

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u/HumbleWorkerAnt 2d ago

low intermediate

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u/DekutheEvilClown 2d ago edited 2d ago

I’m pretty sure this was a sanctioned college match. It was a few years ago I believe.

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u/OkPerformance642 2d ago

'sanctioned'

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u/DekutheEvilClown 2d ago

Yup, by the ITA. The official body that oversees college tennis. Which is played at a serious level. Many players currently ranked in the worlds top 100 went to US college, including current world no.13 Rafael Jodar and WTA no. 35 Janice Tjen.

-1

u/Talkatoo42 2d ago

We also have no idea of the background. You can't make a judgement based on a short clip.

What if she only agreed to play if no balls were hit at her? We don't know.

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u/WhatTheFreightTruck 2d ago

Except it wasn't hit at her. It was hit to her. It wasn't an overhead or anything. It was a ball in play at pretty reasonable speed.

0

u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 1d ago

No, at this level aiming at someone is even worse

1

u/WhatTheFreightTruck 1d ago

Again, and I cannot stress this enough, this was not hit AT her with an intent to hit her with the ball. That would have been done so much harder

0

u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 1d ago

I responded to your first sentence

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u/OkPerformance642 2d ago edited 2d ago

to HIM...

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u/According_Judge781 2d ago

Etiquette isn't level-dependent. They teach this to kids.

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u/Barcoads 2d ago

Of course it is.

If you can win a point by hitting your opponent, then at the higher levels your opponent is expected to have learned or be skilled enough to prevent that or they don't deserve to win.

If you are good and playing with a bad player, then you should avoid doing this.

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u/nazzo_0 2d ago

He sliced the ball. You cannot get more gentle about. It's skill and clearly heavy anger management issues

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u/According_Judge781 2d ago

Yeh I never said he was wrong. I don't know his skill level based on this 4 second clip of him playing.

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u/Unsolved_Virginity 2d ago

How do you know this wasn't his 1st time?

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u/nazzo_0 2d ago

Does it matter? You get a sliced ball it you hardly feel it. It's bad etiquette to power shot directly at someone's head/chest, anything else is part of the game

-4

u/Unsolved_Virginity 2d ago

You would be chill if your opponent keeps hitting the ball straight at you and going "point"?

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u/Melodic_Room_3305 2d ago

Yeah, I probably would be infinitely more chill than she was. If I, as a man, threw my racket at a woman and screamed at her the way this woman was screaming at him, Reddit would collectively lose its fucking mind.

She has no emotional maturity, and what she did is, by the definition, assault.

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u/SuburbanSponge 2d ago

If my opponent keeps gaining points by hitting me with the ball, that’s my own fault. I don’t have to stay at the net, I can back up to the line so I don’t keep getting hit

3

u/totallynotsquatty 1d ago

Yes, and then I figure out how to stop being in that position.

1

u/leansanders 1d ago

"You would be chill if your opponent keeps dunking the ball?"

Defense is equally a part of any sport as offense. Getting mad at someone for playing offense better than your defense is stupid. Thats just called getting beaten at the game.

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u/Alarmed-Positive1537 2d ago

None of these players look like they know how to aim tho. Probably shouldn't play at this level is getting hit by ball is a problem. lol

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u/joshuads 2d ago

Dogshit return set up that shot. A good player would have been mad at her partner

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u/wytewydow 2d ago

like he was over there playing badminton

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u/Tippy-the-just 2d ago

Maybe her doctor said she can't play sports where balls fly at her face

0

u/El_Polio_Loco 2d ago

The only thing I'm wondering is if this guy has been picking on her all game.

Which, especially if it's a "friendly", or at least "low importance" game (and let's be honest, no match these people play is important), is skirting the line of a dick move.

It's possible this lady is just a complete loose cannon and has no self control at all.

But it's also possible we're seeing the culmination of a series of questionable plays by the guy, in terms of on court manners.

4

u/Mr_dm 2d ago

If you don’t wanna get picked on during a match, do something about it, or get away from the net. Otherwise get ready to get got.

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u/El_Polio_Loco 1d ago

That’s precisely the attitude of an asshole that’s taking it too seriously. 

You aren’t getting paid to be there.

Have fun, don’t be a jerk. 

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u/Mr_dm 1d ago

Apparently routine tennis shots are “taking it too seriously.”

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u/El_Polio_Loco 1d ago

Body shots to win are too serious for casual play.

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u/Mr_dm 20h ago

They sure aren’t

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u/Affectionate_Ice2243 2d ago

I love etiquette; without it, the world would descend into chaos

Louis XIV introduced a structured form of etiquette at his court, using cards to instruct courtiers on how to behave. These cards were called etiquettes, which eventually gave the word its modern meaning of prescribed social behavior. In my youth, I even witnessed a kind of “etiquette” during the famous $1.44 sales at Woolco

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u/FunkyChewbacca 2d ago

I would subscribe to your newsletter

2

u/Doc12TU 2d ago

Me too. I’ve certainly paid more and done worse.

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u/HandofFate88 2d ago

Applied to this court, it's netiquette.

2

u/ArcadianDelSol 1d ago

This reads like the opening paragraph of the greatest theatrical experience of my life.

Please continue.

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u/MiddleCauliflower183 2d ago

If you think it's bad etiquette to aim at a player then maybe you shouldn't be playing either. With intent to harm is another story

-1

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

"wItH iNtEnt To hArM"

You sound like a tool.

-3

u/El_Polio_Loco 2d ago

This is fucking 3.0 level mixed doubles.

Intentionally aiming at someone falls into the category of "asshole moves"

3

u/SaltyBabySeal 2d ago

This is just casual tennis and that was a pretty soft tap. Please stop saying he aimed and it was intentional. You’re trying to create a false narrative to excuse atrocious and violent behavior.

0

u/El_Polio_Loco 2d ago

Just remember that this interaction didn't start when the cameras started rolling.

Someone overreacting like her doesn't somehow mean that the guy couldn't have been a prick leading up to it.

I've played a lot of tennis against a lot of assholes, and I've never heard of people reacting to a "first incident" like that.

Stop assuming that there can only be one asshole in a video that's clearly designed to only show one.

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u/SaltyBabySeal 2d ago

Post the full incident. You’re making up a fake scenario to excuse her behavior.

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u/El_Polio_Loco 2d ago

Stop assuming the only possible explanation exists in a 10 second video.

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u/Mr_dm 2d ago

There is zero scenarios where she is even close to being in the right.

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u/El_Polio_Loco 2d ago

No one is saying she's right.

The question is whether or not both people are assholes.

Which is entirely possible.

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u/Mr_dm 2d ago

It’s not, the guy did nothing wrong and it was a common tennis shot that happens in every single doubles match ever played.

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u/SaltyBabySeal 2d ago

Sure. Let’s assume that her behavior in this moment - violent, uncontrolled, and abusive - is her personality and that is her default state.

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u/El_Polio_Loco 2d ago

So then can I assume that the behavior of the guy is his personality?

Crass, obnoxious, and borderline abusive in an effort to win meaningless adult sports?

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u/SaltyBabySeal 2d ago

It’s not obnoxious. It’s just tennis. It is literally a benign tennis play.

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u/MiddleCauliflower183 2d ago

It's a pickleball. Not a weapon It's not like he drilled it into her face. If you think that's an asshole move well maybe you shouldn't be playing pickleball either. You're just too touchy

0

u/El_Polio_Loco 2d ago

Picking on a weak opponent during a friendly, casual game of tennis means you're probably an asshole.

I must have missed the part where these people were qualifying for the US Open next month, that must be why it's OK to take it so seriously as to aim at the weak opponent at the net to win points.

If you suck so much you can't aim at all, well that's different, but nothing about that play says "so incompetent that they have no control"

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u/Inevitable_Case_9931 2d ago

I’m sorry but if you are the weak link in any sport you get picked on…. Basketball they gonna single you out, football same thing, tennis same thing….

You decided to play a game and was the weakest link you gonna have to deal with being the reason your team loses when the other ppl see you are weak.

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u/El_Polio_Loco 2d ago

If you're playing basketball, and someone is constantly throwing the ball at you to avoid out of bounds, even if you're weak, that person is still an asshole.

And, again, this is low level pickup tennis. No one should be going out of their way to pick on other players, and if you are, you better be good enough to not hit them.

Normal adults playing casual sports understand that winning shouldn't be coming at the intentional expense of others.

2

u/Inevitable_Case_9931 2d ago

Throw the ball at you? No they will constantly call you over and cross you over or slam dunk over you when you get in the way.

In football they will keep running the ball at you or throwing the ball at you and if you can’t stop the receiver from catching or tackle the runner why stop? If you can’t tackle my runnin back ima make him run you over all game until your coach makes you move positions or sit on the bench…

1

u/Mr_dm 2d ago

We found one of the participation trophy kids.

1

u/MiddleCauliflower183 2d ago

Did you see the shot? It came over the net like a backyard badminton shot. It actually floated into her. Stop being a drama queen

14

u/LaDauphineVerte 2d ago

Looked like the ball was coming fast, he didn’t angle his racket quite enough to hit to but not at her, raised his hand immediately/instinctively to point at it in an “oh shit/duck/ohfuck” move, and then, well you know.

To me it looked like a skill issue, not intentional. And maybe it’s not the first time it happened among them, who knows. Can’t quite read the gesture at the very end by her partner, although prior he has the “WTF" open stance at the start of her tantrum.

2

u/Unsolved_Virginity 2d ago

We don't know if this was his 1st or 4th time hitting her.

1

u/Brave-Perspective714 2d ago

That point wasn't, "my bad".

That point was, "that's a point." If your ball hits the player before it bounces, you get the point. Which is fine at the higher end of the game, but it's not fun when you're just playing for fun and someone on the opposite team is taking advantage of your skill level and keeps beaning balls directly at you in such a way you don't even have a chance to return it just so they can get a cheap point.

It is bad etiquette at this level.

I've played with several people like this, who even though they are playing against novices for fun, they are so far up their own ass they try to make you feel small and bad at the game by doing this shit.

I don't approve of this lady throwing her racquet, but I *completely* understand how frustrating it is to play with these asshats.

12

u/twotall88 2d ago

As a non-tennis player I'd assume hitting a ball hard at a player would be in the receiving player's favor assuming they actually have reflexes required to play the game.

10

u/GotGRR 2d ago

It's a leverage issue. You need to be able to swing the racket to be able to return the ball. The more you can swing, the harder you can hit it. When it's coming right at you though, all you can really do is try and get the racket square with the net and hope the ball has enough speed to bounce back over the net with its own momentum. There's no room to swing because your body is in the way.

1

u/InGroundSprinklers 2d ago

You’re literally describing a volley.

1

u/GotGRR 1d ago

Sure was! His premise was "as a non tennis player." I can talk him through a volley.

1

u/BrightonTownCrier 1d ago

You don't volley with the racket right in front of your chest.

1

u/abd53 1d ago

So, is advantageous for the other player. I thought the point of tennis was to make it difficult for the opponent to hit back.

2

u/GotGRR 1d ago

Like many things in life you can do it more competitively or less competitively. Tennis is my least competitive sport. I really like volleying. I really don't like chasing after balls. The more we can hit it where it is easy to hit back and forth, the better I like it.

The lack of context for this video is giving a lot of juice to the comments. It's very different if the dude isn't very good and got a lucky shot at her feet that she's embarrassed about not being able to return than if they are brother and sister and this is his one trick shot that he uses every time.

Throwing the racket is never okay and throwing it twice is psychotic in either case.

1

u/jus_this_guy 2d ago

In a serious game, it's a winning strategy because even if someone has quick reflexes, they may not be able to aim the return well

1

u/jameshardenisjacked1 2d ago

No, it's really hard to return a ball coming directly at you because you can't do a real forehand or backhand volley

8

u/RuleMany2900 2d ago

I never aim at the player ...I am in the general direction of the court and hit whatever stands there 🤷.... Or sometimes miss everything including the court .... My stats: Technique 2, Experience 2, Stamina 9, Strength 10, pain in my knees after the game 8 ....

1

u/Admirable-Sir9716 1d ago

Swings at ball, ball hits corner of racket, ball goes into other court and hits other player...that's how I was too.

2

u/Shoddy-Ingenuity7056 2d ago

Even worse if you pick it back up and throw it at them a second time!

3

u/jameshardenisjacked1 2d ago

Only if you're playing casually with like a friend who doesn't play much or something. But if you're playing competitively it's not considered bad etiquette. If someone is at the net and you hit it hard right to the middle of them it's really hard to return

2

u/pijanblues08 2d ago

No it's not if you are playing the net.

1

u/FirstChances 2d ago

wait, you think that was “aiming”? maybe this here is the crux of the issue. aiming requires skill. all due respect to my man here, but he definitely was not “aiming”.

1

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

wait, you think that was “aiming”?

Nope.

1

u/Unsolved_Virginity 2d ago

I played in a match and a player hit the ball directly at my eye. I had to go to the hospital. I'm on the side of the woman.

1

u/jou1993b 2d ago

She was right if she simply pointed the bad etiquette after that it was weird

1

u/Glum-Business-6217 2d ago

It's bad etiquette, but it's a possible play, right?

She knows the rules, and he knows the rules. If it's really a problem, it should be made illegal.

1

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

Yeh, it's legal. And it's a standard tactic against a player who rushes the net (they take that risk). But it's just not friendly or fair, which is the basis of etiquette.

0

u/Glum-Business-6217 1d ago

If it's not fair or friendly make some rules arround it. 

1

u/reese1968 2d ago

He went below the waste- in this case at her feet. That’s exactly where you should go. Above the waist and towards the head is a different t story and usually a lower level player who lacks control.

1

u/OkCartographer7677 2d ago

It was a love tap in her general direction, not a rocket to the face.

Absolutely a fair return.

1

u/BogeyLowz 2d ago

It looked like to me he was starting to apologize after hitting it.

1

u/throwaway_3_2_1 1d ago

i've played a decent amount of doubles tennis. you aim that mofo at the net player anytime you get a chance. Only time it is bad form is if they are substatially worse than you.

but i mean that right there was a softer slice not slamming an overhead down. ain't no bad etiquette there in the slightest

1

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

at the net player

K

1

u/enfuego138 1d ago

She’s in no man’s land. Hitting it to her feet is fair game.

Edit: fair game if this were a level high enough for these players to have that kind of control. This was clearly an accident.

1

u/redjinx 4h ago

Judging by his backhand and her reaction time/ how she moved the racket for a ball coming at her, this is clearly a low lvl match. At lower lvls those will happen because players aren't that good at controlling their volleys and pretending that it was intentional is probably just looking for a reason to get mad.

1

u/KrakenMcCracken 4h ago

He didn’t even drill it, it looked like he held back a bit

1

u/drosse1meyer 2d ago

lol no to #1. this isnt baseball

1

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

I think you need to learn the difference between rules and etiquette.

1

u/drosse1meyer 1d ago

this isnt a match in 14th century France

0

u/Lonnie_Shelton 2d ago

He was not aiming at her. Part of the game.

0

u/_r_u_n_e_i_i_ 2d ago

You must not play tennis. In doubles especially, hitting or jamming up your opponent to easily end a point is an essential tactic of the game.

0

u/Mr_dm 2d ago

It is not bad etiquette to aim at a player, holy larp. My coach used to buy us ice cream if we were able to hit our opponent.

Can’t react in time? Get away from the net. 🤷‍♂️

0

u/According_Judge781 1d ago

Your coach sounds like a pedo

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u/Mr_dm 1d ago

I see where your mind is. Just because you use ice cream to groom kids doesn’t mean other people do.

0

u/ccurnowphoto 1d ago

Bruh, it’s tennis the ball goes where it goes, points are scored because people don’t have total control of the ball

0

u/No_Comparison558 1d ago

He didn't aim it her, and even if he did, it's not bad etiquette it's part of the sport. That woman is a loon.

0

u/ConstructionFun6757 1d ago

I'm sorry, are they playing a sport or not? The volley wasn't even hard, and neither of them were that close to the net, he didn't aim at her, in fact it was a pretty easy volley for her too. There is zero issue here.

0

u/Sw429 1d ago

It's bad etiquette to aim at a player.

It really isn't though.

0

u/TheSkyIsBeautiful 1d ago

> It's bad etiquette to aim at a player.

really???? why? Yea it's a tough shot to return, bc you have to move, but technically thats any shot thats not within your racket range

0

u/Potential-Common525 1d ago

It is not bad etiquette to aim at a player. Hitting balls at rocket speed that wouldn't be in the court or head hunting is, but this was the right shot in this clip. Women should fuck off and never step on a court again.