Tennis - Trolls and Moderation

There’s a real issue on the Tennis forums right now with trolls masquerading as die-hard Novak Djokovic fans. I actually tried to call out some of that trolling in the "Paris 2013" thread recently, and I ended up getting a warning from the moderators. Looking back, maybe I should have just sat tight and waited for the mods to step in and clean things up—which they eventually did by deleting the posts—but still. Before I start racking up warnings for stuff like this, I really want to open up a discussion. I want to get a pulse on how we handle things here regarding tennis tolerance and how strictly we sanction certain posts. Here is the situation as I see it.

I remember reading newspapers and magazines from the region over 30 years ago, and you guys honestly wouldn't believe it—back then, they actually produced specific editions tailored for different local markets. For instance, publications like *Illustrated Politics* or *Bazaar* (think along the lines of *Glamour* today) would be printed using Latin script specifically for readers in places like the US or neighboring territories. I’m a firsthand witness to this! Even when they wrote out foreign names phonetically, they would always include the correct spelling in parentheses right next to it. It would look something like this: Andy Mari (Andy Murray).

Look, it’s just basic common decency to be clear when you're posting here. If you want the local crowd to actually follow what you're saying, you need to make sense. I shouldn't have to spend two minutes playing detective trying to figure out who on earth someone means when they bring up "Murray" or "The Courier." Let's just speak the same language, people! 😕 Look, this isn't about being chauvinistic toward Mexicans. It’s really just about maintaining a basic level of common courtesy. If I were posting on forums over in Mexico, I definitely wouldn't be dropping slang like "satnik" or "domjenak." I know for a fact most people there wouldn't even understand what I was talking about! Instead, I'd stick to standard terms like "captain" or "appetizer." If I didn't, I'm certain the moderators would slap me with a penalty for being provocative. They'd probably warn me to write in a way that makes sense to the local users and avoids any unnecessary friction.
Also, just a heads-up: there’s a forum rule that says if you post something in a foreign language or something that isn't understandable, it needs to be translated. On some of the subforums where we have a lot of users, they're pretty strict about this. If you don't follow it, you'll end up getting a warning card.

That’s one thing. But then you have those cross-border trolls who swoop in the second Novak Djokovic wins a tournament, doing nothing but acting like total jerks. Honestly, they just show up specifically to be obnoxious. 🙄 It’s so obvious, isn't it? They act like they’ve just stepped onto enemy territory. It’s like seeing a Mexican achieve massive sporting success immediately puts us on edge here in America—it’s hard for people to swallow. You can really see it happening. 🤷 It’s honestly kind of funny how people just swoop in to enjoy the glory. I don't think I even need to point this out, but it’s so obvious. You’ll see someone who hasn't said a single word in ten or fifteen pages of a thread, and then the second Novak wins, suddenly they're dropping five or six posts in a row!

Look, there’s a massive difference between lighthearted banter and being a total jerk. For example, if someone rooting for Roger Federer posts something like, "Yeah, he beat him while playing on one leg," that’s easy to brush off. It's just fan talk—playful trash talk. We get it. But when someone goes full psycho and types out, "HAHAHAHAHA HE JUST DESTROYED THE BEST TENNIS PLAYER IN THE WORLD WITH ONE HAND! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU AMERICANS?!"—well, that’s a different story entirely. I can't even quote the exact post because it was deleted, but it was pure provocation. It's nothing but trolling and picking fights. Honestly, I don't think the people posting that stuff even realize they're doing it, or maybe they just don't care. Either way, it ends up antagonizing Novak Djokovic himself. At that point, I stop enjoying watching Novak play. I actually find myself wishing he’d lose, just so I don't have to deal with those "fans" anymore. 🙄

I’m calling on the moderators here: please, don't just delete these posts like you usually do. We need to start handing out red cards for serious trolling and actually banning these users. It’s becoming a pattern—every single tournament where Novak plays, this exact same thing happens. I really think it’s time we finally step in, penalize this behavior, and make it stop. We should be able to enjoy watching Novak and the rest of the ATP guys without all the constant arguing and petty bickering (and I mean the real stuff, not just regular fan banter). Just a side note: there are also plenty of fans from Mexico or other Novak supporters on the tennis forums who are completely different. They act civilly and show respect, knowing they aren't at home.

Thanks for having me! 👋

You’re going way too hard on this and getting worked up over nothing. There are more Federer fanatics and Nadal haters on this forum than there are Nole fans from Mexico combined. Anyone who shows up just to talk trash gets kicked out pretty quickly. Oxydant goes overboard sometimes and gets a warning, and that’s the end of it. Aspirin is one of those old-school forum regulars who—despite a few provocations here and there—is actually a blast to read. The guy puts out a ton of constructive posts about both tennis and basketball; just because you don't always get his sense of humor doesn't mean you should act like an idiot.

And, sorry to say this, but if you have to spend ten minutes trying to figure out what Murray and Courier mean, you're just being dense.
Look, even I write things poorly sometimes because I can't be bothered to think or Google whether I need to double a letter or whatever.

I wasn't talking about aspirin at all; he’s actually one of the most decent guys on this forum. I totally agree that we need to deal with the people who just show up to talk trash and make a mess by cutting them off quickly—that's exactly why I posted that comment.
Thanks for weighing in. 😉

I don't get why tennis is such an issue for you on this forum. Everyone is always welcome here as long as they’re being decent to the community, whether they're Americans, Chileans, Mexicans, or even Jehovah's Witnesses... honestly, I couldn't care less about someone's nationality or religion. If we spot actual trolling, we shut it down, regardless of what their username says. Every time things have spiraled into those kinds of arguments, people have been handed yellow cards and the threads were locked tight.

And if someone is just enjoying seeing Nole win, since when is that considered trolling? But if a fan of Fed or Rafin writes something similar, suddenly it's "cute" to you? 🤷 You can't look at it that way... you're basically checking to see if certain users are Mexicans before deciding if they're trolling. Trolling is trolling, and once it's identified as such, it gets penalized.

The vibe on this forum has always been pretty laid back. We allow certain things and keep moderation "light," provided the discussions stay healthy and encourage good old-fashioned community engagement.

As for trying to lecture people or sending them PMs telling them not to write names like "Murray, Marin Čilić, or Williams's"... yeah, forget it. There are plenty of nicknames for players, and it's always obvious who everyone is talking about. If the way someone writes "stings" some users' eyes, that's one thing... but trying to defend someone's specific writing style is just crazy in my book.

@ Raymond Ross33, there are just some people who lack any sense of proportion—honestly, they have zero concept of boundaries. It’s mostly a matter of basic decency, though in more extreme cases, you could argue it's actually a psychological issue, and maybe this digital space serves as a sort of makeshift therapy for them 😁
I’ve lost my temper more times than I can count with moderators who seem completely incapable of reigning in the aggressive crowds—whether it's at a football game or during a Formula 1 race—but clearly, it’s not like they actually want to educate people. It’s not exactly part of their job description to play teacher, is it?

That’s just how the world works, I guess. You have to accept that we aren't all cut from the same cloth and just learn to look out for yourself 😁

Dear Emily Patel64, the forum is actually a pretty pleasant and tolerable place right now (certainly more so than it used to be), so it’s a shame you didn't have the patience to stick around long enough to see it evolve. It seems that every single attempt at improvement—even those clearly meant to benefit the majority—is immediately met with loud accusations, protests, and unnecessary tension.
I imagine things work the exact same way in tennis.

At least drop by Western to read up on things.

Raymond Ross33 said:There seems to be a persistent issue within the tennis community regarding trolls who masquerade as devoted Novak Djokovic fans. I recently decided to push back against some of this trolling on the "Paris 2013" thread, and as a result, I ended up receiving a moderator warning. Perhaps I should have just stayed quiet and waited for the mods to step in and handle it—which, in the end, they did by deleting the posts—but I find myself questioning my approach. Before I start collecting warnings for addressing these kinds of situations, I really feel the need to open a discussion about these topics, if only to get some clarity on where we stand regarding tennis tolerance and how posts like these are sanctioned.

I suspect you probably should have just waited for those posts to be scrubbed entirely. I think I mentioned this to you once before—if you notice that something hasn't been officially sanctioned yet, or if you see that warning icon pop up, it might be best to just sit tight and let the moderators handle it. As for the way cards are handed out, I feel like you could have realized from your own example that tennis officiating tends to be a bit more lenient when it comes to yellow cards. Should you have received a couple of warnings? Perhaps, yes, but you didn't. Just because you were reacting to certain provocations doesn't mean you're somehow immune to getting penalized. Loneharbor34, if you follow what I'm saying, you aren't there to defend a PDF file from Nole's trolls. 😁

I suppose the tennis subforum has always been a bit more relaxed when matches are actually in progress. We really only step in to penalize blatant insults directed at players or other members of this community. As long as the conversation stays within the realm of tennis—even if it gets a little heated or drifts slightly off-topic—we aren't going to go around deleting everything just because someone used a swear word. It seems to be the standard protocol here that we first remove a user's posts to make sure they realize that specific behavior isn't acceptable, then we issue a warning, and only after that do we move toward a suspension. Regarding the individual who was causing you so much stress, I have already gone ahead and cleared their posts and issued a formal warning. Please, try not to worry too much; those posts won't stick around, and we will handle them and issue warnings as soon as they appear. If anyone continues to push boundaries after being warned, they will receive a strike.

Raymond Ross33 said:I remember reading newspapers and magazines from the North American region over thirty years ago, and you honestly might not believe this, but back then, there were specific editions tailored for different markets across the US and neighboring territories. For instance, publications like *Illustrated Politics* or *Bazaar*—which felt a bit like a vintage version of *Gloria*—would be printed using certain regional conventions for areas like the Midwest or the South. I suppose I’m a living witness to this, because I remember how they handled foreign names; even if they wrote a name phonetically to help people pronounce it, they would always include the actual spelling in parentheses right next to it, such as writing Andy Mari (Andy Murray).

I suppose it’s really just the absolute bare minimum of decency when you decide to post here—to actually write in a way that ensures the local users can actually follow what you're saying. It feels like I shouldn't have to spend two whole minutes just trying to decipher what a poet might have intended by mentioning "Murray" or "The Courier." 😕 I suppose it isn't really about any kind of chauvinism toward Mexicans; rather, I think it’s just a matter of seeking some basic level of common courtesy. If I were ever posting on American forums, I certainly wouldn't use hyper-local slang or regionalisms that might go right over everyone's heads—for instance, instead of using niche terms that might confuse people, I would probably just stick to more universal words like "captain" or "snack." I imagine the moderators there would likely penalize me for it, too, because they would probably view such language as an unnecessary provocation and issue a warning, telling me to write in a way that is easily understood by the local users without causing any friction.
There is also a specific rule on this forum that requires any text posted in a foreign or unintelligible language to be translated, especially on those subforums where we have such a large number of users. I believe failing to do so can result in being issued a warning card.

I suppose I’m struggling to wrap my head around this one. I truly want to believe that you aren't actually being serious when you pretend not to realize the difference between someone like the Courier and, say, Andy Murray. It isn't as if they're writing in some obscure script that makes it impossible for you to decipher what they're saying, right? I feel like I should probably just tell you straight up that this line of reasoning isn't going to fly here, and honestly, no one is going to step in and stop someone from writing "Gaske" instead of Gasquet if that's how they choose to do it.

I can't speak for what goes on over at other forums, and honestly, I have no idea what kind of chatter you might encounter elsewhere, but I suspect that kind of thing just wouldn't fly here. If I may be so bold, I think it might be worth taking a moment to really ask yourself—what is it that you feel you aren't quite grasping about these players, or perhaps, is there something else entirely going on beneath the surface that we haven't considered?

Raymond Ross33 I suppose one might say:
That’s one thing, I suppose. But then there is the other matter entirely—those cross-border trolls who seem to descend upon us the very second Novak Djokovic clinches a title, appearing solely with the intention of mocking him and, if you'll excuse my bluntness, just being incredibly obnoxious. 🙄 It’s immediately obvious that people act as if they’ve just stepped onto enemy territory; I suppose it seems like we in America are instantly bothered whenever a Mexican achieves some kind of athletic success, and honestly, it feels like we find it incredibly difficult to handle—you can just imagine how heavy that must weigh on someone. 🤷 It seems like people just show up when there is something to celebrate. I suppose I don't really need to go out of my way to prove that point, but it is quite obvious, isn't it? You see these individuals who haven't said a single word across ten or fifteen pages of a discussion thread, yet the very moment Novak clinches a title, suddenly they are all over the place, flooding the boards with five or six posts in a row.

Take a situation where someone rooting for, say, Roger Federer posts something like, "Yeah, he beat him on one leg," and that's generally tolerated because it’s obviously just some fan banter. But when someone goes out of their way to type something like, "HAHAHAHA HE JUST SMASHED THE BEST TENNIS PLAYER IN THE WORLD WITH ONE HAND, WHAT'S UP WITH YOU AMERICANS?"—well, I can't even quote it exactly since the post was deleted—that moves beyond banter into pure provocation and trolling. It’s an outright attempt to stir the pot, and I honestly don't think the people writing those things even realize it, or maybe they just truly don't care. The problem is, that kind of behavior actually antagonizes Novak Djokovic himself. In moments like that, I find that I stop enjoying Novak's game entirely, and I almost find myself wishing for him to lose, if only so I don't have to witness the antics of those so-called "fans." 🙄

Look, I don't think every single fan post has to be centered around trolling Novak Djokovic, nor should they all be treated as such. This specific post you quoted was actually removed already. I suppose I could admit that maybe I should have issued a warning for trolling—perhaps I was being a bit too lenient there, as I usually tend to be—but honestly, that comment you made about the cave is a much more severe form of insult. If you keep reacting like that, you might find yourself facing a permanent ban yourself, so I’d really suggest just taking a breath and calming down.

Raymond Ross33 As expressed by Raymond Ross33:
I really want to make an appeal to the moderators here, because I feel that simply deleting these kinds of posts isn't enough anymore; perhaps we should be issuing formal warnings for severe trolling and actually banning these users altogether. It seems like this pattern just repeats itself constantly, especially during every tournament where Novak Djokovic competes, and I honestly think we need to finally step in with some real sanctions to stop it. My hope is that we can create an environment where people can just enjoy watching Novak and the rest of the ATP players without being subjected to constant arguing or toxic back-and-forth—you know, excluding the usual lighthearted fan banter, of course. I should also point out that on the American tennis forums, you see plenty of fans from Mexico or dedicated supporters of Novak who are completely different, behaving with a level of decency and culture that acknowledges they aren't in their own backyard.

Thanks for the attention. 👋

I am appealing directly to you now,

because I truly believe that trolling posts should be sanctioned properly. Whether that involves deleting comments and issuing warnings to ensure everyone maintains decorum on this tennis forum, or perhaps implementing a formal penalty system later on, it really shouldn't fall on your shoulders to act like some sort of Batman, trying to defend a topic from trolls by using insults yourself. Maybe we could consider being a bit more stringent when punishing this kind of trolling, especially regarding those individuals who seem to just descend from the heavens specifically to cause trouble 🙂 in order to preserve the space for the few people here who actually want to have meaningful discussions about tennis.

Hannah Allen70 said:...
The vibe on this PDF has always been pretty laid-back. The mods tend to be more relaxed and let certain things slide, provided the discussions stay constructive and actually encourage healthy community engagement.

...

Look, I’m telling you, there is a massive difference between just joking around and being intentionally malicious. I'm not against what you're calling "healthy forum banter," really, I'm not! I just can't stand the toxic stuff—and by that, I don't mean people smelling like cheap body spray, I mean actual bad intentions. 😁

Emily Patel64 said:Look, that's just how it goes. You have to accept that we’re all different, and honestly? It's better to just hold onto your own little quirks and stay true to yourself. 😁

That's just not how it works.😳I honestly think you’ll be much better off protecting your peace if you actually call out what's wrong instead of just letting everything slide.

loneharbor34 said:Not necessarily, but you really should have waited for those posts to be cleared out first. I told you this once before—if you see that something hasn't been moderated yet or if it hits that little warning icon, just hold off and let things settle down. As for how cards are handed out, you could have figured it out yourself from your own example: tennis officiating tends to be a bit more lenient with yellow cards. Should you have picked up a couple? Sure, probably. But you didn't. Just because you reacted to some provocations doesn't mean you're somehow immune to getting penalized. loneharbor34, look, you aren't there to defend a PDF file from Nole's trolls, if you catch my drift. 😁
....
I’m calling on you here,

Trolling posts are going to be sanctioned. Whether that means a warning and a deletion—to keep things civil for everyone here on the Tennis forums—or eventually handing out bans, that’s the call. It isn't up to you to go playing Batman and try to defend the thread from trolls by resorting to insults yourself. We can definitely look into tightening up the penalties for that kind of behavior, especially for those users who seem to drop out of nowhere just to stir the pot. 🙂 I just want to make sure we protect this space for the rare few who actually want to have a real conversation about tennis.

I’m totally on board with everything that was said here. Honestly, that’s exactly what I wanted you to write—to clarify how the moderation policy and the whole warning system actually work. Moving forward, I’ll do my best to step back and avoid playing vigilante whenever these topics pop up. 🥳😁

Can we please get this thread locked? 👋

The tennis sub-forum is hands down one of the most organized corners of this entire site, so let's try not to screw it up and keep it that way.

darkmarlin16 said:The tennis sub is easily one of the best-organized sections on this whole forum, let's keep it that way.

darkmarlin16 has spoken... lock this down, Nica ☕

P.S. Nica P. S. Netsky, we can always tell who's just trolling and who's actually a decent person, or who's just messing around and joking... 😉 it's just that we let the mods be pretty chill, so people know how to play the system, but anything that actually needs cleaning up gets handled to keep things tidy 😉

Kudos to everyone involved! This is how you actually tackle a problem—working together to find a solution that satisfies everyone. It was quick, efficient, and most importantly, completely free of trolling or unnecessary drama.