Several years ago, after having written about what it means to be a tennis fan, I wrote about the dark side of being a fan. Unfortunately, that side has become much darker. We still have the "my camp is superior to your camp" nonsense going strong, as well as the "she'll never be as good as (a player from the past), no matter how much she wins" nonsense.
Also prevalent is the absolute trashing of players who were found not guilty of doping after having been abused, sometimes for years, by the corrupt organizations that are in charge of the tour's "ethical" health. You are now forever a "doper" if you were accused of being one, regardless of your innocence.
If you continue to play after sustaining an injury, then you faked the injury, especially if you are okay to play doubles. If you don't continue to play--unless the injury is terrible and obvious--some will say that you are a bad sport.
If your family is wealthy, no matter how hard you train and how determined you are, you had it "easy" because of the money (which, by the way, we don't even know that you're receiving). Just today, there was a sickening thread on social media in which several people just had to take away from Jessica Pegula's many years of determined grit--because her family is rich,
If you are Ukrainian and want to avoid having photos or videos used as propaganda, or if you just want to make a national statement--you are rude and arrogant because you don't shake hands with Russian players. If, like Coco Gauff at the 2026 Australian Open, you can't find a private place to break your racket, and so you're caught on a spy camera, you're an immature, terrible person.
Currently making the rounds on social media is a player's lengthy Instagram post which expresses horror and concern over what is happening in the USA. I wasn't surprised at all by this post, given that I know the player to be a thoughtful and intelligent person. But because some people "know" what she's "really like," they were shocked. Others didn't believe that the post was real. Still others admired it but said that it was meaningless because why would anyone care what this player thinks?
Players who have been abused often get the treatment that so many abused women get--they are blamed for the abuse, or--at the least--they are dismissed because they remain with the abuser (hello!--that's how abuse works).
Yes, occasionally, a player does something that reasonable people would consider inappropriate; I've been watching professional tennis for decades, and I've seen my share of inappropriate behavior. But even players who violate rules and norms may not be repeat offenders. Or--if they are--their offenses tend to be annoyances ("bad" handshakes come to mind), and not actions that harm opponents. Also, some players have what some may consider to be annoying on-court habits, but those habits do not violate any rules. They may not be our favorite players to watch, but they're also probably not "bad" people.
Sexism plays a role. A man's confidence is a woman's "arrogance." Age plays a role. Do we really expect a 17- or 18-year-old to have the maturity of a 25-year-old? The age issue is especially relevant when it comes to on-court expressions of anger. Perceived sexual orientation remains a huge issue. And, of course, race plays a role. Non-white players get abused by "fans" on social media in ways that are disgusting, and the equally disgusting thing is that no one stops it.
As I said in 2018, you don't have to like a player's personality (and, by the way, her off-court personality may be different form what you see on the court); I enjoy the tour's "characters," but not everyone does. But there's no reason to pass harsh judgment on someone whose personalty isn't your cup of tea.
WTA players are bombarded with death threats by gamblers, treated with disrespect by some ATP players and by ATP fans, and have to endure very difficult schedules which involve body training, practice, media appearances, sponsor tasks, and endless time-zone changes. Not being judged constantly by so-called fans would make their existence a little less stressful, and would make tennis fandom a gentler world.
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