NEW YORK: There’s been a lot of talk about the unwritten rules of tennis during Week 1 of this US Open, whether it’s the necessity of a ” sorry, not sorry ” raised hand after a let cord or the proper way to warm up with an opponent or the legitimacy of an underarm serve. Another part of the game drawing attention — thanks to players’ complaints about each of the above — is the postmatch greeting at the net, which usually involves shaking hands and, sometimes, a hug or kisses on the cheek. It would seem to be a simple act of sportsmanship, but every so often ends up going awry.

The handshake is one of tennis' fundamental traditions. It is also a theatrical obfuscation of the reality of elite sport.

The net-cord apology is one of the most prominent — and strange — unwritten rules of the sport.

NEW YORK: There’s been a lot of talk about the unwritten rules of tennis during Week 1 of this US Open, whether it’s the necessity of a ” sorry, not sorry ” raised hand after a…