Undoubtedly, playing away from home always adds an extra difficulty in team sports. The home advantage is commonly accepted across fans and athletes. Terms for expressing the importance of the home crowd in an exhibition, such as the 12th man (Football) or the 6th man (Basketball), are widely known. But can the same be anticipated for individual sports, too? Do the home fans hold a major role in the performance of an athlete?

“Always hated the away goal rule, kills so many games” Gary Lineker supported a year ago, unable to tolerate the knockout of Manchester City from AS Monaco after they drew 6-6 on aggregate in the last-16 phase of the UEFA Champions League. Many fans across...