Sportsmen either love them or hate them, respond to them or are crushed by them, rally to their call or fail miserably in the face of huge expectation.
Home crowds, full of patriotic pride and rampant tribalism, give so much of themselves and expect to be rewarded in kind. No less than 100 per cent will do when playing in front of home fans and that demand can either freeze the body, mind and soul or fire the passions.
Mary Pierce knows what it feels like to be loved, and loathed, by her 'own' fans at Roland Garros in Paris. When she wins, as she did in the French Open, she is French 'Ma-ree', everybody's darling. When she losses, as she has done so often and so dramatically in the past, she is American 'Mary', the girl with the foreign father ostracised by the establishment.
Belgium, boring Belgium, are a no-names football team tolerated, rather than admired, by their countrymen. But in the opening game of Euro 2000, played on home turf, the co-hosts opened the Swedish defence and the hearts of their supporters. The Red Devils became Gods.
Golfer Ian Woosnam revels in his nationality and he was so proud to be leading the Wales Open at the appropriately named Celtic Manor. The support was overwhelming and, in turn, Woosnam was overwhelmed. The expectation proved too much for the former Masters champion.
Pierce, born in Canada to a French mother and American father, has never quite known what to expect at Roland Garros. Her ability is plain to see and she plays under the flag of France, but Parisians are notoriously fickle and undeniably haughty.