"Towelling off" - does it get your goat?

And I don't mean G.O.A.T.

What is with modern tennis now? We see almost every player mincing about at the back of the court between every point towelling down like they've just come out of the shower, even after an ace!

Then we see the arrogant gestures for said cloth towards the ball boys..."I need my towel and I need it now!" as though it was taken away by their mothers when they were small boys and they cannot let it out of their sight for more than 30 seconds.

But most of all it's just a waste of time!!! Especially when the 20/25s rule is already under strain.
Hello, haven't you heard of wristbands?

What I want to see banned is towelling off between every point to speed the game up and stop this pointless gesture to the ballboys...I want to stop seeing grown men carrying around towels from their chair to the backcourt like little boys do with their teddies. It's pathetic. Grow a pair!

Have these guys not watched Borg et al? After a 40 shot ralley, he merely raised his wristband to his head and got on with the job. Or Sampras who simply windscreen-wipered his forehand with 1 finger. Not a towel in sight.

They didn't need namby-pamby fluffy towels passed to them as though they are crying out for their comfort blanket from their mothers. What next.... a collection of soft toys, warm milk and biscuits at the back of the court for them?

This is meant to be gladiatorial sport, not a day at the kindergarten! Personally, I blame Rusedski.

I does irritate me. Rafa towels down his arms, for goodness sake! What kind of heat or humidity are required for arms to work up a sweat?!

If there's no physical need for it, it's just time wasting. Players only get away with it because it looks like something that you might need to do at some point. If their "routine" was to spend the same amount of time running a comb through their hair, they would be lambasted for it. Towelling down when there is no sweat is just as nonsensical.

It gets me when both players towel down after a service winner. I can maybe understand after a 30+ shot rally that they want a moment extra for recovery, but after a point that lasted 1 shot?

I blame Rusedski - from memory, he seemed to be about the first player to include a quick wipe down with the towel as part of his routine after every point.
Nadal of course has taken it to extremes with his OCD 'wedgie' adjustment after each rally (surely with his money he could get some underwear that fits)

Couldn't agree more. There's a lot about the game now that feels like it's getting a bit pathetic.
Players putting on an exhausted look after more or less any rally is another that annoys me. Djokovic in particular has this look that appears to be trying to suggest he's a total hero for dragging himself through another point; after a few mental rallies I could handle it but it can be done after an ace.

I think it was Rusedski too. Gregs legacy; what an impact to have!

I entirely agree... they all do it to some degree.. Andy literally takes it from the boy/girL flicks it across his nose and hands it back.. as I say its a comfort blanket Im sure. I date myself by saying I remember when no towels came on court and I remember the time before they had chairs to sit on at changeover and not bottles of water it was Robinsons Barley Water from a dispenser behind the umpire´s chair .
No ice packs no umberellas I do not even remember them changing their shirts. (Im pretty sure would have remembered if it had been Borg . They relied pretty much on their wrist bands AND SHORT SHORTS !!!!!

Haddie-nuff wrote:I entirely agree... they all do it to some degree.. Andy literally takes it from the boy/girL flicks it across his nose and hands it back.. as I say its a comfort blanket Im sure. I date myself by saying I remember when no towels came on court and I remember the time before they had chairs to sit on at changeover and not bottles of water it was Robinsons Barley Water from a dispenser behind the umpire´s chair .
No ice packs no umberellas I do not even remember them changing their shirts. (Im pretty sure would have remembered if it had been Borg . They relied pretty much on their wrist bands AND SHORT SHORTS !!!!!

But they were happy......

Absolutely .. I think the introduction of towels on court was a huge mistake.Extenuating circumstances i.e. that of extreme heat is understandable and in such circumstances it is by the discretion of the umpire.

Yep they were happier players back then that fought with a code of honour and a stripped down to basics approach.

Term "towelling off" is even part of the new lexicon of tennis we've developed. Towelling off what? A bead of sweat? Hello...its sport!

I'd like to see this insiduous practice banned ASAP. They can wipe themselves down when they go back to their chairs for warm milk and cookies.

Quite agree BB about the hang-dog look from Djokovic (and Murray at times too). You would think he was about to have a diabetic hypoglycaemic attack but then next point he'll be beating his arms against his chest after a 60 point ralley like Tarzan. Similarly I cant do with Murray holding his back or other joint in anguished pain when he loses a point but then seems fine on the next winner. Come on, you're conditioned athletes for heaven's sake, roll with the punches!

The players are too just mollycoddled and spoiled. Their every need is fawned over...it wouldnt surprise me if they introduce hot tubs and masseurs rather than chairs at change of ends for the players to jump into and relax with.

Have to say the mental image of Rusedski crying out "Blankeeeee" (towel) to the ballboy between points turned me right off the player. Complete wet lettuce and the start of the Mummy's Boy Brigade we have now. We need the down to business attitudes of Sampras, Edberg, Borg, Lendl and McEnroe and their forebears back again not a bunch of whingeing prima donna's who need psychological counselling every time they realised they've left their towel on the chair.

Goran Ivanisevic was really funny on 5 live during Wimbledon this year. In very dramatic fashion, he declared that towelling off was 'deesgusting!' to the great amusement of Clare Balding and team. I think they all roundly blamed Rusedski too lydian!

It has gone too far. I don't want to single out Nadal particularly as they all do it to some extend, but he has been known to miss first serve and towel down before serving again! It is yet another delaying tactic - I blame sports psychologists meself

Short shorts Haddie - that's a good solution The trouble is they look like the tennis equivalent of speedos next to the longer trews of today!

Yep Rafa is guilty as charged on the towelling front, I dont like seeing him waltzing about the court with a towel in his hand...doesnt quite fit the "warrior" image does it. I think they all abuse it now...even Federer has started doing it more. I'm surprised the players havent rubbed themselves raw by the end of a match these days. But for many its just blatant time wasting...I wonder how much time Djokovic or Nadal towels themselves off in a 4-5 hour match.

Lol @ Goran. Can imagine him saying that...and probably using the term "nancy boys" as well. Rusedski was that bad he used to walk around most of the match with towel fluff all over his face.

Cant see the players dressing up like the 118 118 guys of the ads any more...wasnt it Vitus who wore shorts ridiculously tight. Could you imagine Djokovic wearing those on the lunges he does...he'd have a hernia after the first game

Oh Vitas - now there was a man! Up all night in Stringfellows, off his head on coc*ine and with shorts that looked as if they had been painted on and still he managed that famous epic semi duel with Borg in whatever year it was.

Sigh......they just don't make 'em like that anymore

Ugh,..yeah..something's got to be done. How about no towelling off after the first four points or something. You can't be that knackered, you've just been sat down for 2 minutes.

However if it's 35 degree heat some common sense has to be applied.

I say no towelling off in the first 4 hours! Use wrist bands like they used to if you need to wipe your face. Wiping your arms down is a waste of time.

You didnt see Lendl, Edberg, et al using the comfort blankets down under. Lendl just wore one of those Foreign Legionnaire caps and got on with it with a pair of Adidas sweatbands.

Of course we know Federer doesnt even sweat, he doesnt need any material

haha TP...what a character he was. The first and last international playboy of tennis. Gulbis tries to live the same lifestyle but he doesnt quite cut the same glamourous image that Vitus espoused. I think he and Borg possibly had the tightest "budgies". And yes what a classic match that was between them...it seemed every year between 76-80 Borg came back from 2 sets to love down in the semis. What a trojan.

Did you see Borg towelling off, feeling his back or asking for a skinny latte at change of ends...never!

time please wrote:Oh Vitas - now there was a man! Up all night in Stringfellows, off his head on coc*ine and with shorts that looked as if they had been painted on and still he managed that famous epic semi duel with Borg in whatever year it was.

Sigh......they just don't make 'em like that anymore

Hey tp dont get me going down memory lane (I was a fan girl back in those days) Vitas (with a surname that sounded like a bad bout of something!! ..in his case it could well have been) He and Borg best mates, clubbers and ladies men ooooooooohhhh swoon. But have to say the shorts were indeed on the skimpy side but you never heard me complaining But on court they never looked like they did anything as disgusting as sweat .. real Borg was my idol ...

Funnily enough Borg was my idol too - singlehandedly got me into tennis...I blew my fingers on pressure points and everything. Not sure my shorts were quite that tight though

Yes Lydian me too... he inspired me to follow the game as I do now.. I seriously wept when he retired. I love him still

He was a sad loss to the game at such a young age. Its just a shame players werent managed better back then and of course he was one of the first truly global popular tennis icons...dont think he knew how to handle it all, so he just upped and left.
His retirement even affected McEnroe badly too.

lydian wrote:Funnily enough Borg was my idol too - singlehandedly got me into tennis...I blew my fingers on pressure points and everything. Not sure my shorts were quite that tight though

Lydian
Need to do the voice-pitch test. If you say something and only the dog hears, your shorts were too tight...

haha D_H...thankfully I've gone on to have children so it clearly didnt do irreparable damage.

That said, I note Bjorn and Vitus never had children...

lydian wrote:He was a sad loss to the game at such a young age. Its just a shame players werent managed better back then and of course he was one of the first truly global popular tennis icons...dont think he knew how to handle it all, so he just upped and left.
His retirement even affected McEnroe badly too.

Lydian what was also a contributory factor and that "fangirls" like me were more aware of was that at that time he was in the midst of a very acrimonious divorce from his first wife who was attempting to fleece him.. as you are aware he has been married three times. But he was young and foolish when he married the first time this coupled with his fame, Johnny Mac and as you say bad management.... all this sent him into melt down.A wicked waste of talent so early...

lydian wrote:haha D_H...thankfully I've gone on to have children so it clearly didnt do irreparable damage.

That said, I note Bjorn and Vitus never had children...

Sorry to correct you Lydian but I think you will find Bjorn has three... two by one marriage and another by a relationship (I think) one boy I believe is called Robin

I loved Borg, but I was a McEnroe fan first and foremost. I often think that is a bit strange of me because I am primarily a Fed fan because of the unique game he plays in today's environment but I appreciate (apart from early years)his etiquette on court and respect for opponents while playing............. whereas as Johnny Mac! A magician and a complete brat at times! Always entertaining though!

Talking of which, I just wanted to pick up on something you alluded to earlier in the thread lydian about 'even Federer' beginning to reach for the towel on occasions. I did think that Fed stopping the match in the first game of the second set, in the semi, was gamesmanship - it was only a few drops of rain. I think it is sad to see one of the fairest competitors doing so when the umpire had not yet called for play to be suspended. Now on one hand, I can understand why Fed might be tempted into succumbing to, what has become, normal behaviour because he has been disadvantaged at times by not getting down and dirty and Annacone may well be counselling him to slow it down when the match is escaping him - but I don't think any of us really like to see it. I know that these stars are valuable commodities to their sponsors, but although the MTO has to be a positive thing in quickly preventing an injury sustained on court becoming career threatening, this is another area that has become much abused and we just didn't see the old warriors able to pull this one. Nowadays, if you feel a tweak because you are pulled out wide to hit a shot, you just sit down and catch your breath while surrogate mummy rubs it better - it's different if you see a player turn an ankle or hobble to the side, but otherwise surely sport is about managing the tweaks while you play? The result is that sport becomes a little sanitised and certainly I don't think the term 'warrior' should be applied to many of the modern players - tremendous tacticians in a lot of cases! This is why I feel that some of the behaviour that has been countenanced by umpires, the ATP and, yes we fans as well, has proved to be the thin end of the wedge. It is not good to see Djokovic having an MTO for what looked like cramp before Murray served for the USO title, or Nadal having a loo break before Federer served for the match at Indian Wells, and it wasn't good to see Federer object to, approximately 6 drops of rain, against Murray!

Enough!

http://cdn.stureplan.se/legacy/articles/5340/images/article_image_f3d404f042b1d76b.jpg

This is Bjorn with his son Robin....I would have to say Bjorn I would be asking a lot of questions before I admitted to this !!! Apparantly he also plays tennis

people seem to be singling out nadal and djokovic for excessive use of towel. I agree that this is only necessary after longer rallies. Mind you Murray and several other players are just as bad when it comes to toweling down between points. I think most of the players are at it at this point, Nadal probably more than the others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSEkfqlDilU&feature=related

This is the towel the ATP need.

lol LK

Wow Haddie, I never knew he had three kids! I guess his private life has been pretty, well, private since he stopped playing. His son doesnt look like him much! (not that I'm implying anything...lol)

Good call TP on that match. I thought exactly the same to be fair when it happened. It was like he was looking for extra time...something to allow Murray's purple patch to pass. I wonder how much is due to him feeling he cant quite live with these new guys if they hit their very best, or whether he's just become "softened" to how the game now its with subtle, or non-subtle, use of gamesmanship. But you could see in that match that Murray was having none of it...and I wonder how that leaves Murray with Federer now or whether he thought any more of it post-maytch? An interesting passage of non-play there.

Slasher....absolutely, many of the pros are doing it now....but I do have to say its a little excessive with Nadal and part of the routine he has developed over the years. If the time limit was say made rigid at 30s he might not have time to do this habit anymore....and the same for others too.

Yep, count me in as another who idolised Borg. Totally put me off McEnroe for years, because I hated that he was stopping Borg. So much so that I initially supported Lendl as the anti-Mac.

Eventually my head cleared and I realised what a great John was.

Not a towel in sight.

bogbrush wrote:Yep, count me in as another who idolised Borg. Totally put me off McEnroe for years, because I hated that he was stopping Borg. So much so that I initially supported Lendl as the anti-Mac.

Eventually my head cleared and I realised what a great John was.

Not a towel in sight.

BB I was just the same . anti-JMc I was always hoping Borg would play him off court. And definitely pro Jimmy Connors .. like you until I realised what a great player JMc was... and having read his autobiography I now understand him so much better love the man

Haddie-nuff wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Yep, count me in as another who idolised Borg. Totally put me off McEnroe for years, because I hated that he was stopping Borg. So much so that I initially supported Lendl as the anti-Mac.

Eventually my head cleared and I realised what a great John was.

Not a towel in sight.

BB I was just the same . anti-JMc I was always hoping Borg would play him off court. And definitely pro Jimmy Connors .. like you until I realised what a great player JMc was... and having read his autobiography I now understand him so much better love the man

Me too - I was anti-Mac for a while, even to the extent of being pro Connors at Wimbledon 1982 . Fortunately I managed to be on the side of righteousness in time for Wimbledon 1984 and enjoyed watching Connors having his tush served to him in what is still for me the greatest show of tennis genius I've yet seen.

I also liked Lendl at the time - I was chuffed for him when he broke his slam duck at Mac's expense. If I could re-write tennis history now I'd rather Lendl exchange USO 1982 and 1983 for RG 1984.... .

barrystar wrote:

Haddie-nuff wrote:

bogbrush wrote:Yep, count me in as another who idolised Borg. Totally put me off McEnroe for years, because I hated that he was stopping Borg. So much so that I initially supported Lendl as the anti-Mac.

Eventually my head cleared and I realised what a great John was.

Not a towel in sight.

BB I was just the same . anti-JMc I was always hoping Borg would play him off court. And definitely pro Jimmy Connors .. like you until I realised what a great player JMc was... and having read his autobiography I now understand him so much better love the man

Me too - I was anti-Mac for a while, even to the extent of being pro Connors at Wimbledon 1982 . Fortunately I managed to be on the side of righteousness in time for Wimbledon 1984 and enjoyed watching Connors having his tush served to him in what is still for me the greatest show of tennis genius I've yet seen.

I also liked Lendl at the time - I was chuffed for him when he broke his slam duck at Mac's expense. If I could re-write tennis history now I'd rather Lendl exchange USO 1982 and 1983 for RG 1984.... .

My God, you just described my exact feeling for all those matches, including the desirability of Mac getting that 1984 French!

Yes it annoys the hell out of me, what ever happened to just wiping it on your sweat band and getting on with the match. And then chucking it into the face of the ball kid like they can't be bothered to take the extra half second to hand it to them.

What I have heard and would like independent verification of is that or next year the umpires will be able to give faults out for time warnings this I think will go a long way to speed these things up and the players will have less time for their between point douches.

I have no problem with verbal abuse (of ball boy's, ball girls, lines people, umpires, friends and family, opponents, annoying people in the crowd or indeed anyone), ball abuse, racket abuse, a player celebrating their own good shot or their opponents bad shot, players rolling around in agony and then running like a rabbit, showboating... but if a player goes near one of those fluffy towels I get furious! Almost as mad as I get if a player places their water bottles neatly on the ground!

hawkeye wrote:I have no problem with verbal abuse (of ball boy's, ball girls, lines people, umpires, friends and family, opponents, annoying people in the crowd or indeed anyone), ball abuse, racket abuse, a player celebrating their own good shot or their opponents bad shot, players rolling around in agony and then running like a rabbit, showboating... but if a player goes near one of those fluffy towels I get furious! Almost as mad as I get if a player places their water bottles neatly on the ground!

Yes Hawky, but if a player starts to towel his face each and every points, his arms, and then sometimes even his legs and feet, and continuosly wipes his a$$ in the process, sorry this is going to annoy me, this is pure gamesmanship. Tell me what's the real need to towel someone's legs for instance. I say, let's put showers on courts, or toilets if that is the case...........

hawkeye wrote:I have no problem with verbal abuse (of ball boy's, ball girls, lines people, umpires, friends and family, opponents, annoying people in the crowd or indeed anyone), ball abuse, racket abuse, a player celebrating their own good shot or their opponents bad shot, players rolling around in agony and then running like a rabbit, showboating... but if a player goes near one of those fluffy towels I get furious! Almost as mad as I get if a player places their water bottles neatly on the ground!

Well that should give Andy a day off then

"Well that should give Andy a day off then"

Rest easy H-n Roddick is no longer with us

hawkeye wrote:I have no problem with verbal abuse (of ball boy's, ball girls, lines people, umpires, friends and family, opponents, annoying people in the crowd or indeed anyone), ball abuse, racket abuse, a player celebrating their own good shot or their opponents bad shot, players rolling around in agony and then running like a rabbit, showboating... but if a player goes near one of those fluffy towels I get furious! Almost as mad as I get if a player places their water bottles neatly on the ground!

Haha nice post, although I still thikn the towelling is excessive.