Bryce McCarthy

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@zhangshuai121 Congratulations Rose.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@shelly_IoT Pl

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@Certinfy @BenRothenberg

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@elise_mertens @Wimbledon So so good. Well done and congratulations.

[Isaac @roundrobin42]

Lot of Zverev discourse today.

As someone who stands strongly in the anti-Zverev camp, I’d like to better articulate my thoughts.

1) Alexander Zverev is very likely a domestic abuser. The odds are, in my opinion, at least 80% (2 women, timelines/stories corroborated by others, reported photos/messages, etc).

2) There is a non-zero chance the allegations are false/made up. No charge against him has ever been proven, and the ATP’s investigation couldn’t substantiate the claims.

3) Given 2), it is not possible/fair for him to be removed from the tour.

4) This situation is objectively horrible for tennis, and there is no easy way to deal with it; taking action isn’t feasible but not taking action means lots of people will be, justifiably, furious.

5) Stuff like this is worse for tennis vs team sports because bad actors can more easily be hidden if there are 10 others on the field; in tennis there’s only one.

6) All of this is complicated further by the fact that Zverev is really good, and seemingly destined to be a fixture at the top of the game for years to come (despite being a lifelong underachiever). Also because there are parts of his story––diabetes, injury recovery, constantly coming so close and finally crossing the line––that are very inspirational.

If I knew there was an 80% chance someone punched and strangled their girlfriend, I wouldn’t send them to jail, because that is not beyond a reasonable doubt.

I would not, however, want them to be the face of a sport, or see them idolized and held up as examples for young people and fans.

For all those saying there wasn’t enough proof to convict and therefore the sport shouldn’t address it, or that we should separate one’s actions on and off the court: sure, but that strategy is bad for the long-term health of this sport. I’ve spoken to ~a dozen people this week (men and women, mostly women) who aren’t big tennis fans but are aware of the allegations and either stopped watching or expressed displeasure towards the tour because of them.

I love tennis, and want to be able to enjoy it knowing that, even if my guy loses, the other guy kinda deserves it—or at least that I don’t *actually* hate him. As a big Alcaraz fan, it stinks when Sinner beats him, but it doesn’t ruin me: Sinner is a decent guy, a good role model.

Zverev very likely isn't, and it sucks that someone who is almost certainly a horrible person has now cemented himself in tennis history.

In summary: Alexander Zverev won a grand slam, and everything is worse now.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@rennaestubbs Ruud

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@pavyg The guys a potato.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@tometcheverry 👏

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@sventennis @qataropentennis So good, congratulations team.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@steftsitsipas @abnamroopen It’s been fun cheering for you since.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@JenCapriati @AustralianOpen @CraigTiley @Andre_Sa77 It was great to see you. Come back soon.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@jon_wertheim Would JC having been a player told him to take a break at end of 4th set to change clothes and go to the toilet??? He was counting down the shot clock every service point of his own yet didn’t take advantage of that valuable opportunity.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@arthurrinder @AustralianOpen Always good to cheer for you. See you back down under next year.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@akafaceUS That’s a broken ankle

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@TennisTV This guy has it sorted. So good at analysing himself

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@MrSeanFinlay I remember your dad. I know it’s disappointing , but I just want to let you know he’s remembered fondly.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@CaroGarcia Many congratulations. Wishing you both a lifetime of good health and happiness together.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@denis_shapo @MifelTennisOpen @atptour Big congrats, so good.

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@onclingingjust Absolutely!!!

[Bryce McCarthy @BryceMcCarthy66]

@pavyg In tennis you can’t hypothesise that a player was four games away from losing, just as you can’t say he was sixteen games away from winning.
Too many variables.