"I don't want to see computers and machines on the court" - Becker on ATP's new strict conduct policy

He concedes “everything has a limit”, but Boris Becker believes tennis is “an entertainment sport” and “a bit of blood, sweat and tears” are good.

Following an increase in bad behaviour over the past few months, the ATP announced they have instructed on-court officials to take a stricter stance in judging violations while those who continue to overstep the mark face harsher penalties.

Despite criticism from various corners, Becker feels “emotions are good” for the sport. He said:

“I’m quite happy that we were allowed to play and ultimately go berserk under the exclusion of the social media and the microphones so to speak. It’s more difficult for the players today. Everything is extremely transparent, too transparent for my taste. And then the question is how does the tennis authority deal with it?"

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He further said:

“Tennis is also an entertainment sport. I don’t want to see computers and machines on the court either. Emotions are good, a bit of blood, sweat and tears, that stimulates, that was already the case with us. But everything has a limit.”

He does think that players take it too far at times:

“I know how to chop up rackets or how to treat the referee badly. That’s why I won’t criticise him now. But I was also punished. I wasn’t suspended either, but I was punished and then you wake up. And yes, the line is thin. What else do you allow? The way [Daniil] Medvedev insulted the referee in Melbourne [at the Australian Open]. That makes John McEnroe almost harmless. Or Nick Kyrgios – the things he does on the court… We in our generation were also bad, but the boys today, they are at least as bad."