American tennis legend and four-time Grand Slam champion Jim Courier recently shed light on the intense media scrutiny faced by stars such as Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Iga Świątek, and Ben Shelton on tour. The 55-year-old noted that the level of attention surrounding today’s players often crosses into unhealthy territory, adding that he considers himself fortunate to have competed in an era marked by comparatively limited exposure.
Jim Courier Highlights the Challenge of ‘So Much Attention’ Players Like Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, and Ben Shelton Have To Face
Certain players rise to the top of the tour through sheer hard work, resilience, and sustained excellence, and Alcaraz, Gauff, Shelton, Świątek, and Aryna Sabalenka are no exception. However, with that success comes intense scrutiny, as fans and media alike seek deeper insight not only into their performances on court but also into the finer details of their lives away from the spotlight.
Inevitably, that level of attention also makes it increasingly difficult for players to safeguard their privacy. Last month, after her quarterfinal defeat to Elina Svitolina, Gauff was seen smashing her racket in frustration backstage. Believing she was out of view, she did not expect the moment to be captured. However, cameras recorded the incident, and the clip quickly went viral.
The American later voiced her dissatisfaction with the broadcasters for filming and circulating the footage, underscoring the limited privacy players often have even away from the court. Gauff’s stance was later supported by Iga Świątek, who compared tennis players to animals in a zoo, constantly watched and scrutinized for nearly everything they do.
A somewhat similar challenge was recently highlighted by former American player Courier on the “Tennis Insider Club” podcast. The 55-year-old believes stars like Świątek, Alcaraz, Sabalenka, and Gauff face far greater media scrutiny due to constant coverage and video access, unlike his era, when players competed with significantly less public attention.
“You see the players these days. You see what Iga and Carlos and what they are dealing and Aryna and Coco. There is so much more attention because there is so much media. So much more video that is available. That wasn’t the case back then, so I could go a little bit more under the radar,” he said.
It is worth noting that World No. 9 Shelton deleted his X account nearly two years ago in an effort to distance himself from social media noise. Speaking at last year’s Cincinnati Open, he described the move as the “best decision of his life.”
Courier later suggested the lure of social media can be difficult for players to resist, though he noted how Shelton stepped away from it. While acknowledging its commercial value, Courier warned of its unhealthy aspects and said he felt fortunate to compete in a far less intrusive media era.
“I think the temptations must be too great. For players not to do it. I did read that Ben Shelton has been off of social media or at least twitter (X) for two years now. And I understand there is a business component to it, and maybe your management team needs to have a presence, so your sponsors could get access to your audience,” he said.
“But there is a lot of unhealthiness involved in it too, and I feel very lucky. In a way that, my time in the limelight was, was not bothered by that at all. It was just newspapers the next day. That was all there was. And I just learned not to read them,” he added.
On the tennis side, Alcaraz opted out of the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, while Shelton is currently competing in Dallas, having reached the second round. Gauff, meanwhile, started her Qatar Open campaign in the second round but shockingly fell to Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in straight sets. In the same event, Świątek has reached the quarterfinals, and she awaits Greece’s Maria Sakkari.
