RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 07: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand against Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina in their singles match on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tennis fans were quick to voice their outrage on Wednesday night over what they believe to be “double standards” the U.S. Open has regarding in-game attire changes for male and female players.
On Wednesday, No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic decided to take a break during his quarterfinal match against Australian John Millman and was spotted sitting shirtless on the sideline bench.
The U.S. Open even shared a GIF on Twitter of the Serb star smiling while resting:
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Djokovic beat Millman 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semifinals, where he will play 21st-seeded Japanese star Kei Nishikori on Friday. Many fans delighted in Djokovic’s happy state, although others rapidly started criticizing the tournament’s organizers for their double standards, citing an incident involving a female player changing clothes on the court that happened early in the U.S. Open last week.
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During a first-round loss to Sweden’s Johanna Larsson on Aug. 28, Frenchwoman Alize Cornet drew a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct after removing her shirt in a ten-minute break. Cornet was wearing a sports bra underneath her shirt — which she reportedly changed because of the heat and because she had been wearing the first shirt backwards — but tournament officials deemed her showing skin indecent, and Cornet seemed appalled with the decision.
The U.S. Tennis Association eventually apologized for their decision regarding Cornet in a statement.
“We regret that a Code Violation was assessed to Ms. Cornet yesterday,” said the USTA. “All players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair.”
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Here is what fans said about Djokovic being allowed to sit shirtless during Wednesday’s match. Serena Williams being denied the opportunity to continue wearing her infamous “catsuit” was also mentioned by some fans.
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