5 Strangest Moments in Tennis History

The sport of tennis is usually exhilarating and unfolds spontaneously.

The reason why we can safely label it as a sport is simply because it is competitive and anything can happen on any given day.

Although some upsets and unpredictable outcomes result on occasion throughout each season, there are still rarer occurrences that shock us beyond belief.

Here are the top five most unusual moments that have been seen on the courts over the years.

Note: Due to the lack of videos posted online, many of the following clips took place recently.

Honorable Mention: The Luckiest Shot of All Time?

I have never seen a more fortunate shot than this one, and not only did it double-bounce, it incorporated the net post.

On the unlucky side of the spectrum, Kim Clijsters went on to lose this match. Oh well.

5. Several Mishaps from the Swiss Players

So much is going on in this clip that it is partially indescribable.

Stanislas Wawrinka fell to the ground, and Roger Federer checked to make sure he was okay, while simultaneously striking the ball for the finishing shot.

Next, the chair umpire got so caught up in the rapture that he got the score wrong.

On the comical side, Wawrinka did not know how the previous point had ended since he was on the ground facing away from his opponent. Also, Roger and the umpire were trying to retrace their steps from the three points before that last one to figure out whether the score was 40-15 or 30-30.

The summary does not quite tell the whole story, though—click the play button above.

4. Appropriate Nudity?

If you put Michael Llodra, John McEnroe and Henri Leconte on the same tennis court, comedy is bound to spark.

Then, Ryan Harrison is there to absorb the hilarity of the situation and to see how the legends and veterans of the game put on a real show.

It is unclear how or why this occurred, but just know that it happened and it was unusually funny. Take a look for yourself.

3. Not the Precision Shot-Making That Players Are Used to Seeing

I feel bad for both the bird and the player who hit it with the ball—the bird flew through the wrong place at the wrong time, and the athlete must have felt immediate guilt over harming another life form.

The revival ceremony approach was also a great improvisation to assuage the discomforts of onlookers.

2. Jimmy Jump Causes Trouble...What Else Is New?

Jimmy Jump is famous for disrupting all public events of importance. If you have never heard of him, here is his background and list of achievements for disturbing the peace on international television.

Well, he set out to do his usual job during the final of the French Open, where Roger Federer had his first real shot at winning the title.

I remember watching this live and thinking I was literally in a dream because I could not believe that somebody would try to startle players in a Grand Slam final like that.

Oh, and if I were Roger, I would have used Jimmy Jump as a flat-forehand target. But hey, that's just me.

1. The Most Tragic Incident of All

Monica Seles was nearly unstoppable in her prime.

The only reason she was taken out of her prime was because of Günter Parche, who sought out to make Steffi Graf No. 1 in the world again.

This was a small tournament that quickly received big news coverage. For more information on this graphic and sad occurrence, click here.

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