" ▁by ▁being ▁una f raid ▁in ▁acting ▁" like ▁a ▁ch ump , ▁pre ening ▁in ▁his ▁spark ling ▁tennis ▁to gs ▁one ▁moment ▁and ▁pitch ing ▁a ▁spo iled - br at ▁tant rum ▁the ▁next ." ▁Pra ising ▁the ▁film ▁overall , ▁they ▁concluded ▁" S uff ice ▁it ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁small ▁universe ▁of ▁comedy ▁t apes ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁express ly ▁for ▁home ▁video , ▁Van ▁Pat ten ▁has ▁come ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁winner . ▁And ▁although ▁Jen ner ▁may ▁have ▁lost ▁on ▁the ▁court , ▁he ' s ▁bound ▁to ▁win ▁new ▁respect ▁for ▁his ▁ab ilities ▁as ▁a ▁c low n ." ▁ ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁called ▁D irty ▁Tennis ▁" D ick ▁Van ▁Pat ten ' s ▁Sp inal ▁T ap ", ▁and ▁wrote ▁the ▁film ▁stood ▁as ▁" a ▁tower ing ▁monument ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁V HS ▁era " ▁when ▁" mid - level ▁cele brit ies ▁could ▁rent ▁a ▁cam c order , ▁c ob ble ▁together ▁ 6 0 ▁minutes ▁of ▁j unk ▁video , ▁sp lice ▁it ▁all ▁together ▁and ▁ship ▁it ▁off ▁to ▁consum ers ▁who ▁were ▁star ving ▁to ▁rent ▁something any thing they ▁could ▁jam ▁into ▁their ▁V CR s ." ▁ ▁The ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁three ▁stars , ▁and ▁wrote ▁" Dir ty ▁Tennis ▁adds ▁up ▁to ▁ 3 3 ▁minutes ▁of ▁mal icious ▁enjoy ment , ▁[ it ] ▁is ▁down right ▁nast y