Stars ranging from Danielle Collins to Novak Djokovic have confronted hecklers in the past. Opelka said he’s not a human pinata and will not tolerate disrespect from abusive fans.
“It shouldn’t be one-sided traffic. If you want to be disrespectful to me, I can’t just be a punching bag,” Opelka said. “If the ref isn’t doing his job, then he penalizes me – not a good look.”
The 27-year-old Opelka will face good buddy, former roommate and defending Dallas champion Tommy Paul for a quarterfinal spot.
The outspoken Opelka has criticized chair umpires, tournament officials and American tennis media in the past.
This time, Opelka, who says he was victimized twice in this match, is calling for the ATP to suspend Allensworth claiming the chair nearly cost him tihs match.
“It would be nice to maybe sideline him for a few tournaments,” added Opelka. “He gets no penalty. If I lose that point, I lose that match. There’s a difference in my paycheck, he gets no repercussions.
“He should be on the sideline for about four weeks, maybe learn a thing or two… You’ve got to understand the situation. You can’t always play by the rulebook. It’s just common sense.”
If Opelka’s version of events is indeed true, the fan would not be the first to play the “coughing card” in an effort to disrupt a player.
Hall of Famer Boris Becker famously suffered sudden coughing fits at times when opponent John McEnroe was ready to serve, eventually prompting the mercurial McEnroe to call the German out on court telling him to knock it off.
“Come on John, give me a break, I’ve got a cold,” Becker said.
“You’ve had a cold for years!” McEnroe shot back suggesting Becker’s coughing was pure gamesmanship.
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Watch McEnroe mockingly mimic the Becker coughing during their Paris Indoor showdown above.
