Top class tennis is racist
When Serena Williams was beaten by Justine Henin-Hardenne in the French Open semi-final, she was booed every time she questioned a decision — even when she was clearly in the right
I Say So
By Martin Jacques
When Serena Williams was beaten by Justine Henin-Hardenne in the French Open semi-final, she was booed every time she questioned a decision — even when she was clearly in the right. And, towards the end of the match, every first serve she missed was greeted with loud cheers.
Unsurprisingly, Williams was reduced to tears. At the end, she was booed off, just as her sister Venus had been after her defeat by Russia’s Vera Zvonareva.
Various explanations were offered to explain the crowd’s hostility to Serena, including support for the underdog and the number of Belgians there. The most likely —racism — barely got a mention.
Yet when the Williamses arrived on the scene they rarely received support even though they were the underdogs.
None of this should be surprising. Tennis is an overwhelmingly white middle-class sport, both in those who play and those who watch. Until the Williamses emergence, the only previous black grand-slam champions were Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah.
Although Venus and Serena got a warm reception at Wimbledon, the sisters together with their father, are subjected to a steady stream of criticism, denigration, accusation and innuendo: their physique is somehow an unfair advantage.
Even players Martina Hingis and Lleyton Hewitt have reacted in a racist way in the sport.
Richard, a man of some genius, is painted as a ridiculous and absurd figure, match-fixer, svengali and the rest of it. Most racism—especially middle-class racism — is neither crude nor explicit but subtle and nuanced, masquerading as fair comment about personal qualities rather than the prejudice it is.
The achievement of the Williams sisters is towering. Coming from a black ghetto in Los Angeles, riven by drugs and guns, they have scaled the heights with enormous verve and skill, and in the process have dealt with the prejudice of the tennis establishment, the players, the crowds and the media with great grace and dignity.
It is not good enough to pretend that sport — any sport — is a culture free, value free zone. It is no longer good enough for reporters and commentators to turn a blind eye to racism.
Guardian
By Martin Jacques
When Serena Williams was beaten by Justine Henin-Hardenne in the French Open semi-final, she was booed every time she questioned a decision — even when she was clearly in the right. And, towards the end of the match, every first serve she missed was greeted with loud cheers.
Unsurprisingly, Williams was reduced to tears. At the end, she was booed off, just as her sister Venus had been after her defeat by Russia’s Vera Zvonareva.
Various explanations were offered to explain the crowd’s hostility to Serena, including support for the underdog and the number of Belgians there. The most likely —racism — barely got a mention.
Yet when the Williamses arrived on the scene they rarely received support even though they were the underdogs.
None of this should be surprising. Tennis is an overwhelmingly white middle-class sport, both in those who play and those who watch. Until the Williamses emergence, the only previous black grand-slam champions were Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah.
Although Venus and Serena got a warm reception at Wimbledon, the sisters together with their father, are subjected to a steady stream of criticism, denigration, accusation and innuendo: their physique is somehow an unfair advantage.
Even players Martina Hingis and Lleyton Hewitt have reacted in a racist way in the sport.
Richard, a man of some genius, is painted as a ridiculous and absurd figure, match-fixer, svengali and the rest of it. Most racism—especially middle-class racism — is neither crude nor explicit but subtle and nuanced, masquerading as fair comment about personal qualities rather than the prejudice it is.
The achievement of the Williams sisters is towering. Coming from a black ghetto in Los Angeles, riven by drugs and guns, they have scaled the heights with enormous verve and skill, and in the process have dealt with the prejudice of the tennis establishment, the players, the crowds and the media with great grace and dignity.
It is not good enough to pretend that sport — any sport — is a culture free, value free zone. It is no longer good enough for reporters and commentators to turn a blind eye to racism.
Guardian