
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) has announced that it will introduce stricter rules for its players.
ATP, on Monday, stated that the new measures will work towards curbing on-court misconduct.
The men’s governing body had been under fire for what many pundits and fans perceived to be soft punishments.
"These incidents shine a bad light on our sport," the ATP said according to Reuters News agency.
Also read: Meet Carlo Alcaraz, Third Youngest Masters 1,000 Title Winner
“We all have a role to play to uphold the reputation and integrity of our sport,” ATP chairman, Gaudenzi told players.
While speaking to Reuters News, Gaudenzi admitted that the first three months of the season had an unusual frequency of high-profile incidents that involved unsportsmanlike conduct.
"This conduct affects everyone and it sends the wrong message to our fans, especially young fans."
"Effective immediately and as we head into the clay-court swing, the ATP officiating team has been directed to take a stricter stance in judging violations of the code of conduct," Gaudenzi said.
Also Read: Details of World's Highest Tennis Court Atop Ksh114B Skyscraper
The ATP will additionally be taking a review of the code and the disciplinary processes as a way to ensure that it provides appropriate and up to date penalties for serious violations and repeat offenders.
Some of the court misconducts that the ATP has addressed include that of Australian Nick Kyrgios and German Alexander Zverev.
Kyrgios, after two outbursts - one at the Indian Wells and the other at the Miami Open this year, was fined a total of Ksh6.9M ($60,000).
Zverev faced disciplinary action after hitting the umpire’s chair with his racquet.
He was given an eight-week suspension from the Mexican Open as a result.