tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/australian-open-14380/articlesAustralian Open – The Conversation2024-01-24T00:16:27Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2215912024-01-24T00:16:27Z2024-01-24T00:16:27ZSome Australian Open matches run extremely late. How would that impact player sleep and recovery?<p>For many Australians, January is synonymous with late nights spent watching the Australian Open tennis tournament. These night matches are a great spectacle, and many players consider the prime time slot on centre court as a privilege and reward for their hard work.</p>
<p>An early highlight of this year’s tournament was the men’s third seed Daniil Medvedev playing out <a href="https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/daniil-medvedev-emil-ruusuvuori-australian-open-339-am">a five-set thriller</a> against unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori, with the match finishing at nearly 4am. Less than 48 hours later, Medvedev followed this up <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/medvedev-eases-past-auger-aliassime-sets-borges-clash">by winning his next round match</a>. </p>
<p>In Medvedev’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/medvedev-late-australian-open-tennis-708e79d5b03b1d8f042e4b23f183cc88">post-match interview</a>, he discussed recovery and preparation strategies after the previous late-night finish. This included ice baths, medical treatment and physio work before finally going to bed at around 7am, managing to get five hours of sleep.</p>
<p>Similarly, the first round match for women’s number two seed, Aryna Sabalenka, didn’t start <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/life/sport/defending-womens-champion-plays-just-before-midnight-at-australian-open-raising-scheduling-questions/">until almost midnight</a>.</p>
<p>As sleep scientists, we know limited and disrupted sleep opportunities can impact the body. So what do these late nights and lack of sleep mean for players’ recovery and performance?</p>
<h2>Why a lack of sleep is bad for your muscles</h2>
<p>The function of sleep is still not well understood, despite us spending close to a third of our life asleep. While we do know that sleeping less than six hours a night is linked to the increased risk of several <a href="https://doi.org/10.2337/dc09-1124">chronic diseases</a>, there is still much to investigate.</p>
<p>Several recent studies we’ve worked on have demonstrated the importance of sleep for optimal muscle function. For example, one night of <a href="https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14660">sleep deprivation</a> (pulling an “all-nighter”) or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1113/JP278828">repeated nights of short sleep</a> actually impair the muscles’ ability to make new proteins, which is essential for repair and recovery.</p>
<p>Furthermore, other recent research suggests that a period of sleep loss (five nights, with four hours of sleep each night) can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2020.101110">reduce mitochondrial function</a> within your muscles. Mitochondria are known as the “powerhouses of the cell” and are responsible for producing the energy needed to exercise – and win a tennis match.</p>
<p>Therefore, the lack of sleep tennis players experience after such late-night finishes may well impact their recovery and subsequent performance.</p>
<h2>Sleep loss directly affects athletic performance</h2>
<p>It is well accepted that sleep loss negatively impacts cognitive function and decision making. While the data is not definitive, there are also several studies that show sleep loss <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2018.01.012">impacts athletic performance</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000003000">A recent study</a> in healthy young women accustomed to resistance exercise found that when they performed their weights session after several nights of restricted sleep, the quality and volume of their performance was reduced. The effort it took to complete the session increased, too.</p>
<p>Losing sleep is also detrimental to anaerobic power and skill execution – both of which are critical for Australian Open hopefuls. One study <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.07.002">found a decline in tennis serving accuracy</a> with only five hours of sleep, while another found a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07420520802551568">decline in maximal power output</a>. </p>
<h2>Exercise can help you sleep – but it depends</h2>
<p>It is a widely held belief <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercising-for-better-sleep">that exercise improves sleep</a>. However, falling asleep shortly after completing an adrenaline-fuelled, high-intensity tennis match is not always easy.</p>
<p>Indeed, a recent study investigated the impact of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad099">high-intensity exercise on sleep quality</a>. When the high-intensity exercise was performed in the early afternoon, deep sleep was improved. But when participants exercised shortly before bed, their sleep quality diminished.</p>
<p>However, this effect also depended on whether the person was a morning lark or evening owl (scientists call this a chronotype). The sleep quality of evening types was unaffected by exercise in the evening.</p>
<p>When it comes to tennis stars, a late-night finish can also affect their circadian rhythm. By the time Medvedev or Sabalenka would have got to bed, their natural, tightly regulated internal clock would have been readying them to wake up. Such a misalignment between the body’s circadian rhythm and the body’s drive for sleep tend to result in disrupted, insufficient sleep. </p>
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<h2>Can players prepare to handle late-night matches?</h2>
<p>Some players have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/australian-open-late-matches-explainer-509cb3dab84762ae346a1c7fc7b3dfe4">voiced their concerns</a> regarding <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-03/australian-open-extended-late-night-finishes-thing-of-past/102927520">late-night matches</a>. But other players suggest it’s just <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/it-s-the-nature-of-the-beast-why-the-australian-open-can-t-avoid-late-nights-20240115-p5excn.html">part of the game</a>. So what can a player do to prepare for the sleep disruption?</p>
<p>Professional athletes have a number of strategies available. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134650">napping has myriad benefits</a> for both cognitive function and physical performance.</p>
<p>A popular supplement, caffeine, has consistently been shown to improve physical performance and alertness. While endurance exercise has shown the largest performance benefits from caffeine, small to moderate improvements have been shown in muscle strength, sprinting, jumping and throwing performance.</p>
<p>However, caffeine can be detrimental to subsequent sleep. While athletes preparing for late matches might have an evening caffeine hit, the average Australian should avoid drinking coffee after 3pm.</p>
<p>Increasing sleep duration in the week leading up to late-night matches can also help. Studies have shown that sleep extension <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.08.035">increases tennis serving</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.1132">basketball free throw</a> accuracy almost 10%. Increasing sleep duration could really be the difference between hitting a winner or an unforced error. </p>
<p>It remains to be seen if athletes like Medvedev and Sabalenka will overcome their disrupted sleep and prevail at this year’s Australian Open. But there’s certainly an advantage to having a good night’s shut eye.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221591/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas Saner receives funding from the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olivia Knowles does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Night matches at the Australian Open are a great spectacle, but sleep disruption is likely to wreak havoc even on professional athletes.Nicholas Saner, Post-doctoral researcher in sleep science, Victoria UniversityOlivia Knowles, High Performance Manager, Hawthorn FC, and Researcher, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2174432024-01-11T19:11:10Z2024-01-11T19:11:10ZA short history of the Australian Open – from a Perth Zoo sideshow to economic juggernaut<p>From relatively humble beginnings, the Australian Open has emerged as a centrepiece in both the global tennis and Australian sporting calendar. With the 2024 tournament approaching, the event is now a centurion – it’s been 101 years since it became a designated grand slam, and 119 years since the very first edition. </p>
<p>While the Australian Open is now firmly known as a Melbourne event, the tournament used to <a href="https://www.grandslamhistory.com/venues/grand-slam/australian-open">rotate</a> across Australasia until 1972. Between 1905 and 1971, it was most often hosted in Sydney (17 times), Melbourne (16), Adelaide (15), Brisbane (seven), Perth (three), and across the ditch in New Zealand (once in Christchurch, once in Hastings).</p>
<p>These early tournaments were a far cry from the economic enterprise of the modern grand slam; the 1909 edition, for instance, was held in the Perth Zoo. </p>
<p>And even after the International Lawn Tennis Federation <a href="https://ds.amu.edu.et/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/6821/Sport%20Histories.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y#page=113">designated</a> the Australian Open as one of the four grand slam tournaments in 1923, it lagged behind the others for quite some time. This was mainly due to Australia’s remoteness, the inconvenient timing of the tournament in December or January, the comparatively poor facilities and the low prize money. </p>
<p>In fact, the tournament did not really flourish until the 1980s – well into the “<a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/tennis-australian-open-stats-records-grand-slam">open era</a>” of professional tennis. </p>
<p>The growth of the Australian Open since the 1980s has occurred in parallel to the development of Melbourne as a cosmopolitan city. Australia’s deindustrialisation and financial deregulation in the early 1970s saw Sydney rise as the commercial capital of the country, while <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09523367.2012.746816">Melbourne languished</a>. </p>
<p>In response, Melbourne turned to sport and culture as a form of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09523367.2012.746816">economic salvation</a>, moving away from manufacturing and towards tourism, leisure and spectacle.</p>
<p>This resulted in significant infrastructure investment, including new grandstand capacity at Flemington racecourse and the installation of lights at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Perhaps most significant was the building of Melbourne Park as a permanent facility for the Australian Open in 1988. </p>
<p>Despite <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09523367.2012.746816">controversy</a> around the necessary rezoning of public lands to create Melbourne Park, the relocation from the grass courts of Kooyong tennis club was an <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/INFORMIT.143058285756777">immediate success</a>. Total attendance increased from 140,000 to 266,436 in the first year. </p>
<p>The tournament has progressed by leaps and bounds since then. The 2023 tournament <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/record-breaking-tournament-ao-2023-numbers">broke attendance records</a>, with 839,192 people coming through the gates.</p>
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<h2>By the numbers</h2>
<p>The modern Australian Open is a major contributor to the Australian economy, as well as a mammoth operational undertaking.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.tennis.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/AO-2023-By-the-Numbers-v3.pdf">2023 tournament</a> featured a total of 817 players from 68 nations and was reported on by more than 800 journalists and photographers from 52 nations. Incredibly, more than 12,000 staff from Tennis Australia, Melbourne & Olympic Parks and other related agencies helped stage the tournament.</p>
<p>Economically, over six million people have attended the Australian Open in the past decade, contributing an <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/ao-delivers-huge-economic-benefits-record-broadcast-numbers">estimated</a> A$2.71 billion (US$1.76 billion) to the Victorian state economy. <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/ao-2020-delivers-record-benefits-victoria">In 2020</a>, the last tournament before COVID, visitors booked 574,970 hotel night stays and spent on average A$209 per day. </p>
<p>The inherent cultural value of the Australian Open is apparent in annual surveying of local sentiment, with <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/ao-delivers-huge-economic-benefits-record-broadcast-numbers">99%</a> of Victorians agreeing in 2022 “it is important for Victoria to host the Australian Open each year”. </p>
<p>Strong local support is important given the Victorian government invested <a href="https://sport.vic.gov.au/our-work/infrastructure/major-infrastructure-projects/Melbourne-Park-redevelopment">A$972 million</a> (US$629 million) of taxpayer funds to redevelop Melbourne Park between 2010 and 2019 to secure the Australian Open hosting rights through 2046.</p>
<h2>Future challenges</h2>
<p>The length of this deal is significant, given Saudi Arabia and other nations have become increasingly aggressive in attempting to rebrand themselves as <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/golf/story/_/id/38162723/saudi-arabia-sports-takeover-line-30-years-making">global sporting powers</a> by making bids to host prestigious events. </p>
<p>Notably, it has emerged in recent weeks that Saudi Arabia is exploring an investment in professional tennis that could, at minimum, <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-build-up-under-threat-as-saudi-arabia-looks-to-host-masters-1000-event-in-january-c-12468266">jeopardise</a> Australian Open lead–up events that are held across the country in early January.</p>
<p>The tennis tour has also entered a period of talent renewal following the retirements of generational players Roger Federer, Serena Williams and soon Rafael Nadal. As a result, the tournament is having to market new, less familiar faces to an Australian public. Hence, the focus on rising stars Coco Gauff, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on this year’s <a href="https://ausopen.com/">tournament website</a>.</p>
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<p>Perhaps the tournament’s biggest challenge, however, will be its longer-term adaption to <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/2299477116?fromopenview=true&pq-origsite=gscholar">climate change</a>. Players have frequently cited the Australian Open as particularly taxing due to the heat, which can at times be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jan/17/australian-open-disrupted-as-extreme-melbourne-heat-forces-players-off-court">extreme</a>. The first heat policy was only introduced in 1998. </p>
<p>In response to this growing challenge, a more extensive, research-based extreme heat policy was introduced in <a href="https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1437571/australian-open-launches-new-extreme-heat-policy">2019</a>. The new heat stress measure, which can result in the suspension of play, considers four climate factors: air temperature, radiant heat, humidity and wind speed. It also takes into account the physiological differences between the adult players, wheelchair participants and junior athletes.</p>
<p>Severe heat is not just a risk for athletes, but attendees. During the 2014 tournament for instance, 970 attendees were treated for <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/more-than-1000-tennis-fans-treated-for-heat-exhaustion-20140116-30xba.html">heat exhaustion</a> on a single day when the temperatures hit 42 degrees. A ball kid also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ball-boy-collapses-in-australian-open-heat-2014-1">fainted</a>. </p>
<p>Climate change poses challenges beyond heat. The Black Summer bushfires of 2019, for instance, brought several days of smoke that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/14/australian-open-in-doubt-as-bushfire-smoke-endangers-players">caused breathing problems</a> among some players. In 2023, the tournament was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jan/17/australian-open-disrupted-as-extreme-melbourne-heat-forces-players-off-court">suspended twice</a> on a single day, first due to heat and then torrential rain. </p>
<p>Tournament organisers have added an extra day to this year’s <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/australian-open-set-historic-sunday-start">tournament</a> to become a 15-day event. This will not only help mitigate any weather-induced scheduling congestion, but will also reduce the number of late-night finishes, which have drawn the ire from <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open/no-more-late-nights-huge-2024-australian-open-change-sees-new-start-date/news-story/86bf40b626660b0ba2346dbf06e19351">players and fans</a>. </p>
<p>This will no doubt help the tournament deal with short-term challenges, but further adaptation may be necessary to ensure its long-term success. If history is any indication, the Australian Open has proven itself open to change.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217443/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hunter Fujak does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The tournament has proven to be very resilient throughout its history, but its greatest challenges may lie ahead.Hunter Fujak, Lecturer in Sport Management, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2176842024-01-01T20:35:35Z2024-01-01T20:35:35Z50 years after Evonne Goolagong’s Australian Open win, we should remember her achievements – and the racism she overcame<p><em>Readers are advised this article contains offensive language about Aboriginal peoples.</em></p>
<p>Fifty years ago, on New Year’s Day in 1974, Wiradjuri woman Evonne Goolagong delighted spectators at Melbourne’s Kooyong Tennis Club by defeating American Chris Evert to win the women’s singles Australian Open championship. </p>
<p>The overflow crowd of 12,000 people leapt to their feet for a tremendously long and emotional ovation.</p>
<p>The Sydney Morning Herald reminded readers that no Aboriginal person had ever won an Australian tennis title. Of all the other major national dailies, only the Hobart Mercury alluded to race, describing Goolagong with offensive words such as “tawny” and “dark-skinned”.</p>
<p>On the surface, Goolagong’s victory transcended race and racial politics. Yet, she <a href="https://www.philjarratt.com/home-evonne-goolagong-story">would later reflect</a> that her stellar career, which included seven Grand Slam singles titles – sent a false message that all was okay in Australian racial politics: </p>
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<p>See, we’re not holding them [Aboriginal people] back, we give them every opportunity. </p>
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<p>Fast forward a couple of decades and Cathy Freeman was <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14443058.2019.1581247">similarly touted</a> as a symbol of reconciliation following her triumph at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.</p>
<h2>From stamps to theatre productions</h2>
<p>This appropriation of Goolagong Cawley (her married name) as a national symbol of racial harmony is echoed in a dizzying range of commemorations. </p>
<p>She holds several imperial and Australian honours, including <a href="https://cms.australianoftheyear.org.au/recipients/evonne-goolagong-cawley-ac-mbe#:%7E:text=1971%20Australian%20of%20the%20Year,of%20Barellan%2C%20New%20South%20Wales.">Australian of the Year in 1971</a>, a Member of the Order of the British Empire and a Companion of the Order of Australia.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/evonne-goolagong-cawley-trailblazer-australian-tennis">giant tennis racket</a> looms over her hometown of Barellan, NSW, in her honour, a bronze bust of her welcomes visitors to Melbourne Park (the current home of the Australian Open), and <a href="https://www.urbansmartprojects.com/gallery/1369?artist_id=7">public artworks</a> dedicated to her <a href="https://www.tennis.com.au/sa/news/2023/10/22/mural-honouring-goolagong-cawley-and-barty-unveiled-as-city-of-playford-tennis-international-gets-underway">abound</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1341500416412905472"}"></div></p>
<p>Yorta Yorta/Gunaikurnai playwright Andrea James brought <a href="https://theconversation.com/sydney-festival-review-sunshine-super-girl-is-destined-to-become-a-legacy-piece-of-australian-theatre-152167">Goolagong Cawley’s life story</a> to the stage several years ago and Australia Post has <a href="https://australiapostcollectables.com.au/stamp-issues/australian-legends-of-singles-tennis">honoured</a> her twice with her own stamps. </p>
<p>Sport has not overlooked Goolagong Cawley, either. She has been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame. </p>
<p>And in this anniversary year, her currency is at an all-time high: her image will appear on the <a href="https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2023/11/16/goolagong-cawley-to-be-honoured-on-50th-anniversary-of-first-ao-title">Australian Open 2024 coin</a>, as well as on a range of merchandise, designed by Lyn-Al Young, a Gunnai, Wiradjuri, Gunditjmara and Yorta Yorta artist.</p>
<p>Goolagong Cawley is proud of her many honours – and she should be. But as <a href="https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/series/anu-lives-series-biography/m%C4%81ori-and-aboriginal-women-public-eye">historian Karen Fox argues</a>, these honours can be used by some to cast her as a potent symbol of Australia’s supposed sporting egalitarianism. This, in turn, can help assuage white guilt over historic injustices against First Nations people, including <a href="https://australian.museum/learn/first-nations/genocide-in-australia/#:%7E:text=The%20different%20state%20governments%20of,onto%20state%2Dcontrolled%20reserves%20often">genocide</a>, dispossession, marginalisation, racism and exclusion. </p>
<p>It’s also important to remember what she had to overcome to reach the pinnacle of achievement and recognition in her sport – and the ongoing issues that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to face.</p>
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<h2>Contending with racism</h2>
<p>Evonne Goolagong was born in 1951, which was a fraught period for First Nations people in this country. On the day she was born (July 31), a quick glance of the national media reflects the widespread racism, discrimination, ignorance and suspicion that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people faced. </p>
<p>There were stories about: </p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161016152">protests in a NSW town</a> over the decision to give “liquor freedom” to Aboriginal people </p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article159713124">misgivings</a> about the ability of Aboriginal people to accept Christianity </p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187689207">assertions</a> that Aboriginal people didn’t actually live in North Queensland </p></li>
<li><p>a <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48983185">requirement</a> for half-caste (sic) people in the Northern Territory to carry certificates of exemption </p></li>
<li><p>and an <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130325614">actress</a>’s black-face make-up tips.</p></li>
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<p>Goolagong grew up in the only Aboriginal family in Barellan. In an <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/29/tennis/evonne-goolagong-cawley-australian-open/index.html">interview</a> in 2015, she recalled her mother being worried the “welfare man” might steal her children. In a <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Home-Evonne-Goolagong-Story/dp/0731803817">biography</a> in 1993, she also said her father feared that “whatever he tried to accomplish, the white man would take away”. </p>
<p>By 1974, the rights of Indigenous people in Australians were improving. First Nations people had been <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/indigenous-australians-right-to-vote#:%7E:text=The%20Commonwealth%20Electoral%20Act%201962,Islander%20people%2C%20unlike%20other%20Australians.">granted the right to vote</a> in all states and territories, though full equality wasn’t reached until enrolment was compulsory in 1984. The <a href="https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/1965-freedom-ride">1965 Freedom Ride</a> had drawn attention to discrimination. The <a href="https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/first-australians/other-resources-about-first-australians/1967-referendum">1967 referendum</a> meant Indigenous people could be counted in the national census. And in 1972, Gough Whitlam’s new Labor government <a href="https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collection/australias-prime-ministers/gough-whitlam/during-office#:%7E:text=On%2015%20December%201972%2C%20Whitlam,land%20rights%20under%20Justice%20Woodward.">established</a> a royal commission into Aboriginal land rights and created the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.</p>
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<p>Yet, terrible racism remained. When Vic Edwards, who would later become Goolagong Cawley’s coach, first spotted her talent in the early 1960s, he <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Home-Evonne-Goolagong-Story/dp/0731803817">noted</a> the “Aboriginal aspect might not sit well in tennis circles”. </p>
<p>He was right. Goolagong Cawley shrugged off most insults, but they were truly shocking. She <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/29/tennis/evonne-goolagong-cawley-australian-open/index.html">recalled</a> a white woman calling her the n-word while shaking hands after a match and being denied entry to a Brisbane nightclub because of her skin colour. </p>
<p>Commentators frequently attributed her on-court concentration lapses to going “walkabout” – Fox, the historian, <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=qikX50RKgPgC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=%E2%80%9Cwouldn%27t+go+walkabout+like+some+old+boong%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=DcaOzyCSOy&sig=ACfU3U0SazFeFSh_o4rqxRl2Lfy0MsouSw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiH3KHYv_6CAxWz3TgGHaVNDQ8Q6AF6BAgZEAM#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9Cwouldn't%20go%20walkabout%20like%20some%20old%20boong%E2%80%9D&f=false">counted</a> 18 uses of the word in Australian newspaper articles about her in 1980. Fox also recounted an anecdote that an unnamed state premier said he hoped she “wouldn’t go walkabout like some old boong” before her 1980 Wimbledon match.</p>
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<p>These types of racial sentiments were ever-present throughout her career. As she became more successful, she also faced a repression of her heritage in the media and appropriation by white Australia. In an <a href="https://deadlyvibe.com.au/2007/11/evonne-goolagong-cawley/">interview</a> in the early 2000s, she said: </p>
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<p>[…] the more successful I became, the whiter I seemed to become. </p>
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<p>The <a href="https://ulurustatement.org/">Uluru Statement from the Heart</a>) has called for truth-telling across the nation. This 50th anniversary of Goolagong Cawley’s Kooyong win provides one opportunity for this – a recognition of the racial realities behind the burnished brass, bright lights and shining prestige of the various honours bestowed upon her.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217684/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gary Osmond does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Wiradjuri woman will be feted at this year’s Australian Open for her remarkable career. But this is also an opportunity for truth-telling.Gary Osmond, Associate Professor of Sport History, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1973972023-01-15T19:00:26Z2023-01-15T19:00:26ZThe 2023 Australian Open pauses a year of profound political tensions in tennis<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/504393/original/file-20230113-14-qrp3n5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1640%2C923&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">James Ross, Alberto Pezzali and Dave Hunt via AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Over the past 12 months, significant challenges by way of policy and politics have impacted professional tennis.</p>
<p>Chief among them have been participation constraints around the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by considerations about the eligibility or otherwise of Russian and Belarussian competitors following the invasion of Ukraine.</p>
<p>With the Australian Open beginning today, where are we currently at with these quandaries?</p>
<h2>The COVID conundrum</h2>
<p>Public health measures during the pandemic inevitably impacted the <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsc/13/3/article-p344.xml">staging of tennis tournaments</a>, with organisers obliged to follow local protocols.</p>
<p>At many events this meant players needed to be vaccinated or receive a medical exemption. For the most part this wasn’t an issue. For example, in January 2022 the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) <a href="https://www.si.com/tennis/2022/01/14/atp-mens-top-100-covid-19-vaccination-rate-novak-djokovic-australian-open">reported</a> 97 of the top 100 men’s players were vaccinated.</p>
<p>This suggested most tennis professionals – much like workers in many other occupations – accepted the public health objectives underpinning vaccination. Doubtless, though, some tennis players had been vaccine hesitant, most notably Novak Djokovic, who famously declared he’d rather <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-watch-novak-djokovic-s-biographer-explains-roots-serb-s-aversion-towards-modern-medicine-vaccines">miss grand slams</a> than be vaccinated against COVID.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/djokovic-admits-doing-photoshoot-knowing-he-was-covid-positive-174784">Djokovic admits doing photoshoot knowing he was COVID positive</a>
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<p>Just a year ago, Djokovic attempted to take part in the Australian Open on the basis of a “<a href="https://theconversation.com/secrecy-surrounding-djokovics-medical-exemption-means-star-can-expect-a-hostile-reception-on-centre-court-174331">medical exemption</a>”, which prompted raised eyebrows among sceptics.</p>
<p>Eventually, the Serb was required to leave Australia after his <a href="https://theconversation.com/novak-djokovic-has-long-divided-opinion-now-his-legacy-will-be-complicated-even-further-174531">visa was cancelled</a>, a decision that caused a furore in his home country.</p>
<p>Djokovic says he cannot forget the experience of being deported, but hopes he will be <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1132029/djokovic-move-on-australia-return">received respectfully</a> by fans at this year’s tournament.</p>
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<p>As with wider society, tennis authorities have adjusted their COVID protocols over time, particularly in the wake of the “opening up” of society following widespread vaccination.</p>
<p>At the 2022 Australian Open, players needed to be vaccinated or medically exempt, but in 2023 there’s <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/players-can-take-part-in-the-australian-open-if-they-are-covid-positive/news-story/4faa3beb692427279f81d7aaba970e06">no such requirement</a>. Indeed, this year there’s no COVID testing at all, and players can even take part should they contract the virus during the tournament.</p>
<p>The contrast over 12 months is stark, with some players finding it hard to reconcile what was <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-bianca-andreescu-shocked-new-covid-rules-australian-open-2023">required back then to now</a>.</p>
<h2>The Ukraine imbroglio</h2>
<p>Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, endorsed by its ally Belarus, shows no sign of resolution.</p>
<p>In response to the incursion, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its allies provided Ukraine with military supplies and logistical support, while implementing <a href="https://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Taras.pdf">economic sanctions</a> against Russia.</p>
<p>Tennis, like many other sports, has also been immersed in the question of sanctions; specifically, how to address the participation or otherwise of Russian and Belarussian players.</p>
<p>For team-based competition, the response was decisive, and pro-Western. The International Tennis Federation ruled that Russian and Belarussian teams be <a href="https://www.tennis365.com/davis-cup/davis-cup-news-itf-replace-russia/">banned</a> from the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup. This was especially bad news for Russian tennis players, who were expecting to defend victories in both events from back in 2021.</p>
<p>However, in the case of tournaments focused on individuals, where athletes officially compete for themselves (and unofficially on behalf of their country), the position of tennis authorities varied.</p>
<p>At the first grand slam following the invasion, <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-banning-russian-tennis-players-from-wimbledon-the-right-call-179551">Wimbledon</a> organisers, with the support of the British government, declined to accept Russian and Belarussian players.</p>
<p>However, this position was repudiated by both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), which fined the All England Club. </p>
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<p>In an effort to counter what they described as “discrimination” against sanctioned players, these international tennis bodies determined that <a href="https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/atp-wta-to-strip-wimbledon-of-ranking-points-following-russian-belarusian-ban">ranking points</a> would not be awarded at Wimbledon, which disappointed many players.</p>
<p>At the French Open, however, organisers deemed that players from Russia and Belarus were eligible to participate, though with the proviso they compete as “neutral” athletes – bereft of regalia, symbols, or status indicating a connection with their homeland.</p>
<p>This would also require, at the very least, neutrality in respect of their public position on the invasion of Ukraine. As the <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis/news/french-open-2022-why-are-russian-and-belarusian-players-competing-roland-garros-not-wimbledon/i3ezncvyvbis0neapbpyd0ys">tournament director</a> emphasised, if any players were to show support for Putin, sanctions would follow.</p>
<p>Subsequently, the US Open also allowed Russian and Belarusian participants, again under an expectation of neutrality. The <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/15/tennis/us-open-russia-belarus-spt-intl/index.html">tournament organisers</a> expressed their “concern about holding the individual athletes accountable for the actions and decisions of their governments”.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, though, ordinary Russians are not treated as “neutrals” by NATO and its allies: they have been <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/07/01/1109033582/are-sanctions-actually-hurting-russias-economy-heres-what-you-need-to-know">collectively penalised</a> by Western sanctions, thus being made accountable for <a href="https://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Taras.pdf">Putin’s war</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/boycotts-in-sport-may-not-advance-human-rights-but-they-do-harm-individual-athletes-185208">Boycotts in sport may not advance human rights. But they do harm individual athletes</a>
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<p>In 2023, the Australian Open – like the US and French Open – announced that “neutral” tennis players from Russia and Belarus are welcome. This incensed the Ukrainian ambassador in Canberra, who labelled Tennis Australia’s position as “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/russians-belarusians-to-play-at-australian-open-despite-calls-for-ban-20230104-p5cacx.html">unprincipled</a>”.</p>
<p>However, Daniil Medvedev, the leading Russian men’s player, expressed relief at being able to play, asserting a personal commitment to “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/russians-belarusians-to-play-at-australian-open-despite-calls-for-ban-20230104-p5cacx.html">peace</a>”.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka complained that playing under a neutral flag at the Australian Open makes her feel she is “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/what-did-it-change-belarusian-star-slams-wimbledon-ban-20221231-p5c9me.html">from nowhere</a>”.</p>
<h2>Cheers and jeers</h2>
<p>So, how might these political issues impact this year’s Australian Open?</p>
<p>Novak Djokovic is back in town, chasing an incredible tenth singles title. After a year’s absence he remains a polarising figure. How will tennis fans respond? </p>
<p>And what of the Russian and Belarusian players? No player from either country competed at Wimbledon in 2022, and none featured as finalists at last year’s French and US Open. There’s an opportunity in Melbourne for that trend to change.</p>
<p>With these background tensions in mind, Australian Open boss <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-11620657/Fans-Australian-Open-warned-theyll-KICKED-sledge-Novak-Djokovic-much.html">Craig Tiley</a> has instructed security to be on a tight leash in the event of booing, declaring: “If [fans] disrupt the enjoyment of anyone else – boom, they are out. We don’t want them on site. They can stay away or we will kick them out”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197397/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daryl Adair does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The COVID pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine combined to make 2022 one of the most controversial years in tennis.Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1798412022-03-23T07:19:43Z2022-03-23T07:19:43ZAsh Barty retires marching to her own beat. What’s next for the multi-talented, restless spirit?<p>Ash Barty has always done things her own way.</p>
<p>The shock retirement of the world number one women’s tennis player at the age of 25 was pure Barty in action.</p>
<p>The razzmatazz of a major media conference with jostling journalists and clicking camera shutters was not for her. When basketball superstar LeBron James switched teams in 2010, a live television special entitled <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/2020/07/08/lebron-james-miami-heat-decision-10-years-later">The Decision</a> ran for 75 minutes and extracted as much publicity as possible beforehand.</p>
<p>In contrast, Barty called time on her tennis career in a six-minute <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbbbr7xBX7N/">Instagram video post</a> via a one-on-one conversation with her close friend and former doubles partner Casey Dellacqua. The inevitable big media conference was scheduled for the following day, but Barty made sure she set the agenda and, at least initially, controlled the narrative.</p>
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<h2>A multi-talented athlete and restless spirit</h2>
<p>Her idiosyncratic history in sport has always involved keeping those outside her tight inner circle off balance. In 2014, Barty took a break from the game and played <a href="https://www.cricket.com.au/players/ash-barty/eLjvswVphkW0rMJjPKTwNQ">cricket</a> with some success before returning to tennis two years later.</p>
<p>The unexpected news of her permanent retirement is consistent with the restless spirit of a multi-talented athlete (she is also a very accomplished <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/sep/21/multi-talented-ash-barty-turns-to-golf-unsurprisingly-wins-club-championship#:%7E:text=Not%20content%20with%20being%20queen,in%20the%20match%20play%20final.">golfer</a>) who has always looked far beyond the tennis court’s baseline.</p>
<p>It’s not even been two months since I wrote about Barty riding the crest of a wave after victory in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-ash-barty-and-special-k-tennis-triumphs-say-about-australia-and-the-buttoned-up-sport-industry-175993">Australian Open</a> women’s singles final.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-ash-barty-and-special-k-tennis-triumphs-say-about-australia-and-the-buttoned-up-sport-industry-175993">What the Ash Barty and 'Special K' tennis triumphs say about Australia and the buttoned-up sport industry</a>
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<p>The other main subject of the article was Nick Kyrgios, who with Thanasi Kokkinakis had won the men’s doubles title.</p>
<p>Both Barty and Kyrgios are far from being cookie-cutter pro tennis players, but they’re vastly different in style. Kyrgios, like Barty, has proclaimed that tennis isn’t his life. But his way of dealing with the world is not to train too hard and to stage a show many people will watch because of his brash unpredictability.</p>
<p>Barty, on the other hand, projects her ordinariness. She drew attention to her play and her team, not her personal image. Barty reached the pinnacle of the sport, including winning three singles Grand Slam titles. Kyrgios, though, who has often foreshadowed his own retirement, has to a degree squandered his extravagant talent.</p>
<p>In public esteem ranking, Kyrgios is a polarising figure, whereas Barty is astonishingly well regarded. Her combination of success and humility means her departure from tennis has made many fans genuinely sad.</p>
<p>Typically, she has suggested a new, though as yet undeclared, game plan that will keep her in the public eye.</p>
<h2>What next for the Barty party?</h2>
<p>In her social media retirement discussion with Dellacqua, Barty said she had given all she could as an elite tennis player, and was “spent”.</p>
<p>But this seemed to be more than simple exhaustion. Having climbed to the summit of the sport at Wimbledon last year, she experienced the familiar feeling of the ultra-successful – that it was somehow not enough. We could almost hear the strains of the famous lament in the 1960s Peggy Lee hit (covered by PJ Harvey and many others), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2iC4rCI01w">Is That All There Is</a>?</p>
<p>The home win at Melbourne Park seemed to convince Barty she didn’t want just to “keep dancing”, as the song goes. Instead of getting on the plane to the US for Indian Wells and going into intense preparation for the French Open and following tournaments, it was time to enter a new phase of life.</p>
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<p>Tennis has given Barty wealth, influence and a global profile beyond the imagination of most late millennials. She has multiple options that will no doubt soon be exercised. As a Ngaragu woman who is the <a href="https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2018/04/15/ashleigh-barty-named-national-indigenous-tennis-ambassador">national Indigenous tennis ambassador</a> for Tennis Australia, it’s probable she will remain deeply committed to First Nations causes.</p>
<p>There might be the familiar move into media commentary. No doubt many organisations, large and small, will beat a path to her door. Having the face of Barty in the service of a company or campaign would be a highly valuable asset.</p>
<p>But this very singular woman wants to spend more time at home in southeast Queensland, and her recent engagement indicates that at some point there will be a wedding to organise. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-numbers-game-how-ash-barty-became-the-worlds-best-female-tennis-player-119381">The numbers game: how Ash Barty became the world's best female tennis player</a>
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<p>Barty’s self-effacing, open manner gives many a sense they somehow know her personally, and they can “read” her intentions and mind.</p>
<p>This is an attractive illusion. Right to the end of her tennis career, she kept the world at bay with a disarming smile and an engaging disposition.</p>
<p>Will there be another tennis comeback for Barty? Perhaps. There have been few sporting champions as adept at keeping the curious guessing. But we can be sure that any choice will be strictly on her terms.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179841/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Rowe has received funding from the Australian Research Council for the Discovery Projects 'A Nation of "Good Sports"? Cultural Citizenship and Sport in Contemporary Australia' (DP130104502) and 'Australian Cultural Fields: National and Transnational Dynamics' (DP140101970).</span></em></p>The unexpected news is consistent with the restless spirit of an athlete who has always looked far beyond the tennis court’s baseline.David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1759932022-01-30T06:58:33Z2022-01-30T06:58:33ZWhat the Ash Barty and ‘Special K’ tennis triumphs say about Australia and the buttoned-up sport industry<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443269/original/file-20220130-25-1fa4wkn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=956%2C81%2C6323%2C5098&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mark Baker/AP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The lead-up to the 2022 Australian Open was dominated by the unvaccinated top-ranked male tennis player Novak Djokovic’s ignominious <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-60014059">deportation</a> from Australia.</p>
<p>Djokovic’s absence prompted claims this would be an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/14/novak-djokovic-saga-leaves-australian-open-tatters-draw-in-turmoil-tennis">inferior</a> Grand Slam. Enter the contrasting Australian tennis characters of Ash Barty and her supporting cast of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis to fill the vacuum.</p>
<p>Their respective wins in the women’s singles and men’s doubles suddenly turned the tournament into a very Australian story, swamping the nation’s media with celebratory headlines like <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/i-m-so-proud-to-be-aussie-emotional-barty-savours-win-for-the-ages-20220129-p59s7r.html">“I’m so proud to be Aussie”: emotional Barty savours win for the ages</a>. </p>
<p>Was this just the last big party of the Australian summer, or did it offer more enduring lessons for the country and sport?</p>
<h2>What these wins mean for Australia</h2>
<p>Sport is without question hugely important in Australian society, although its advocates are prone to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1329878X15616515">exaggerate its nationwide appeal</a>. Most Australians don’t engage in organised sport and only about half go to venues as paying spectators.</p>
<p>The majority watch some sport on television, although often only when a much-publicised event happens, like a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/barty-breaks-tv-ratings-records-in-drought-ending-australian-open-win-20220130-p59sb9.html">woman’s singles final</a> involving a compatriot like Barty.</p>
<p>Research has shown that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15205436.2013.822519?tab=permissions&scroll=top">heavy users of sports media</a> exhibit variously higher levels of Australian patriotism, nationalism and “smugness”, while also tending to be less internationalist in outlook. So, after local success at the Australian Open, some Australians really will feel they live in the world’s greatest country.</p>
<p>Spikes in <a href="https://www.playthegame.org/news/news-articles/2013/mega-events-do-not-have-a-trickle-down-effect-on-sports-participation/">sport participation</a> around major events are usually short-lived. Of more pressing concern is the capacity of sporting success (like that of Barty and the so-called “Special Ks”) to attract people from historically marginalised communities as sport participants. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-numbers-game-how-ash-barty-became-the-worlds-best-female-tennis-player-119381">The numbers game: how Ash Barty became the world's best female tennis player</a>
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<p>This is especially important in individual sports like tennis where there are significant <a href="https://theconversation.com/australia-needs-to-make-sport-a-more-equal-playing-field-heres-why-71144">socio-economic barriers</a> related to the cost of training, travel and equipment.</p>
<p>Barty’s middle-Australia background, growing up in the Queensland city of Ipswich, offers encouragement to budding tennis players who don’t go to expensive private schools. She is a key member of the current generation of champion Australian sportswomen, alongside footballer Sam Kerr and cricketer Meg Lanning, who are making major inroads into the male-dominated institution of sport. </p>
<p>That she is Indigenous and was photographed after her win with renowned Aboriginal sportswomen Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Cathy Freeman, projects a powerful message that sport is – or should be – for all.</p>
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<p>Kokkinakis (who has Greek heritage) and Kyrgios (who is half-Greek, half-Malay)
had materially comfortable upbringings, but their unexpected success is a global projection of Australian multiculturalism. </p>
<p>The wildcard entrants geeing up a raucous crowd also symbolises a wider societal drift away from “stuffed shirt” institutions – including <a href="https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/840500/The_Future_of_Australian_Sport_-_Full_Report.pdf">sport</a> – in favour of freer, less regulated avenues of self-expression. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Nick Kyrgios, right, and Thanasi Kokkinakis, left." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443270/original/file-20220130-27-12bo6j9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443270/original/file-20220130-27-12bo6j9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443270/original/file-20220130-27-12bo6j9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443270/original/file-20220130-27-12bo6j9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443270/original/file-20220130-27-12bo6j9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443270/original/file-20220130-27-12bo6j9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443270/original/file-20220130-27-12bo6j9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nick Kyrgios, right, and Thanasi Kokkinakis, left, were wild card entrants in the men’s doubles tournament.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Simon Baker/AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A message for sport</h2>
<p>Comparing the divergent public personae of Barty and Kyrgios, their successes perhaps suggest that professional sport as an industry should reconsider the way athletes choose to project themselves. Largely because of commercial sponsorship and endorsement considerations, they have been encouraged to be cautious, scripted and bland.</p>
<p>Many athletes prefer to use their own <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16184742.2019.1662465?journalCode=resm20">social media accounts</a> to communicate directly with fans, avoiding journalistic scrutiny where possible in favour of self-advertisement.</p>
<p>In their different ways, both Barty and Kyrgios have bucked the trend. Barty has charted her own course through tennis, including dropping out for a while to play cricket. A determinedly unaffected “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/60171864">everywoman</a>” who sips beer while watching the Australian Football League (AFL), she rarely uses the personal pronoun “I” or talks about herself in the third person. Barty prefers the collective “we” and constantly praises the large team, including family and friends, around her.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-stars-aligned-ash-bartys-wimbledon-win-is-an-historic-moment-for-indigenous-people-and-women-in-sport-164305">'The stars aligned': Ash Barty's Wimbledon win is an historic moment for Indigenous people and women in sport</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Kyrgios has taken on the “bad boy” image pioneered by the likes of basketballer <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13186.Bad_as_I_Wanna_Be">Dennis Rodman</a>. Supremely talented but lacking the discipline of multiple Grand Slam winners such as Barty or Djokovic, he has carved out a niche as a volatile character whom crowds will come to watch. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Nick Kyrgios plays a shot back between his legs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443271/original/file-20220130-17-tfd5sj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443271/original/file-20220130-17-tfd5sj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443271/original/file-20220130-17-tfd5sj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443271/original/file-20220130-17-tfd5sj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443271/original/file-20220130-17-tfd5sj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443271/original/file-20220130-17-tfd5sj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443271/original/file-20220130-17-tfd5sj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nick Kyrgios plays a shot back between his legs during his second round match against Daniil Medvedev of Russia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Hamish Blair/AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>He puts on a show involving skilled tennis play, on-court rants and off-court rows. The message here for the <a href="https://www.playthegame.org/news/news-articles/2006/media-sport-culture-an-education-in-the-politics-of-acquisition/">media-sports cultural complex</a> is there is room for both types of sport personality in today’s crowded “<a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/european-super-league-attention-economy">attention economy</a>”. </p>
<p>In being true to themselves, both <a href="https://twitter.com/databyjosh/status/1487373641088385024">Barty</a> and <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9369999/Australian-tennis-star-Nick-Kyrgios-opens-mental-health-battle.html">Kyrgios</a> have put their mental health ahead of their sports careers at times. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1487373641088385024"}"></div></p>
<p>As fellow tennis player <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a37169178/naomi-osaka-mental-health-interview/">Naomi Osaka</a> has demonstrated, the sport-media machine can swallow and spit out those who do not protect something of themselves from the constant demand to reveal all in public.</p>
<p>Soon the 2022 Australian Open will be in the rear-view mirror, but its lessons for sport and society will remain perpetually in play.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nick-kyrgios-on-probation-can-controversial-athletes-sell-a-sport-or-are-they-bad-for-the-business-124567">Nick Kyrgios on probation: can controversial athletes sell a sport or are they bad for the business?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175993/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Rowe has received funding from the Australian Research Council for the Discovery Projects 'A Nation of "Good Sports"? Cultural Citizenship and Sport in Contemporary Australia' (DP130104502) and 'Australian Cultural Fields: National and Transnational Dynamics' (DP140101970).</span></em></p>Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios are both known for being true to themselves. This is what sport needs more of – personalities who chart their own course.David Rowe, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Research, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1756572022-01-25T10:06:41Z2022-01-25T10:06:41ZTennis champ Dylan Alcott is 2022 Australian of the Year<p>Dylan Alcott, wheelchair tennis star and leading advocate for people with a disability, is the 2022 Australian of the Year. </p>
<p>With 23 quad wheelchair Grand Slam titles, including singles and doubles, Alcott, from Melbourne, last year became the first man, in any form of tennis, to win a Golden Slam. </p>
<p>He won the singles titles at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. He also won the singles gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics.</p>
<p>On Thursday Alcott, 31, competes to his eighth straight Australian Open quad wheelchair singles final, playing Dutchman Sam Schröder. He has said he will retire from professional tennis after the Australian Open.</p>
<p>In earlier years he played in the Australian men’s national wheelchair basketball team, The Rollers. He was a member of the Rollers team that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.</p>
<p>Alcott, a motivational speaker, founded the Dylan Alcott Foundation to provide scholarships and grant funding to marginalised Australians with a disability, and co-founded Get Skilled Access. </p>
<p>Ability Fest, Australia’s only completely inclusive and fully accessible music festival, was his brainchild. He has a widely-based media profile.</p>
<p>Alcott made a flying visit to receive the award from Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Canberra on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>This is the first time in the 62 years of the award that a person with a disability has been named Australian on the Year. </p>
<p>Chair of the National Australia Day Council Danielle Roche said: “Dylan is an inspirational Australian on and off the tennis court. Through the Dylan Alcott Foundation, he is giving young Australians facing disadvantage the promise of a better future.”</p>
<p>Receiving the award, Alcott said that as Australia opened up from the pandemic, “we’ve got to think about and prioritise people with disability – some of the most vulnerable people in our community. We’ve got to get them the vaccines and the tests and whatever else they need so they can get out there and start living their life. </p>
<p>"If a person with a disability needs a free daily RAT test so they feel confident going out and doing things that we all might take for granted, they’ve got to get that RAT test. We’ve got to keep improving more employment opportunities for people with a disability as well.”</p>
<p>Earlier on Tuesday, at a morning tea for finalists at The Lodge, Grace Tame, outgoing Australian of the Year and passionate advocate for victims of sexual abuse, set off an intense social media debate when she delivered a very deliberate snub to Morrison.</p>
<p>Her face was grimly unsmiling as she posed with Morrison and his wife Jenny, with her side-eying of the PM clear in the photos. Tame has been highly critical of Morrison at times over the past year. </p>
<p>The Senior Australian of the Year is Val Dempsey, 71, from Canberra, a St John Ambulance volunteer for more than half a century, starting as a cadet volunteer while at primary school. </p>
<p>Young Australian of the Year is Dr Daniel Nour, 26, from Sydney, founder of Street Side Medics, a not-for-profit, GP-led mobile medical service for homeless people. It has 145 volunteers and four clinics across NSW. </p>
<p>The 2022 Australia’s Local Hero is founder and CEO of Sober in the County, Shanna Whan, 47, of Narrabri, NSW.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175657/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Dylan Alcott, wheelchair tennis star and leading advocate for people with a disability, is the 2022 Australian of the Year.Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1750382022-01-16T10:18:42Z2022-01-16T10:18:42ZWhy Novak Djokovic lost his fight to stay in Australia – and why it sets a concerning precedent<p>Many sports stars are, rightly or wrongly, held up as role models. In the case of Novak Djokovic, we have a set of powerful factors at play. </p>
<p>On one side is a tennis superstar who is unvaccinated and has raised concerns about receiving the vaccination. On the other side is a government which believes Djokovic’s presence in Australia will have a serious negative effect on public health orders and future vaccination levels. </p>
<p>Today, the full Federal Court, in a unanimous judgement, dismissed Djokovic’s application to overturn the cancellation of his visa. It is not surprising he lost his case. Although the evidence used by the immigration minister to cancel the visa was not overwhelmingly strong, the breadth of his powers under the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C1958A00062">Migration Act</a> made it very difficult to successfully challenge his findings.</p>
<p>But the legal issues raised by this case do not end here. What are the broader implications of the government’s approach in future cases involving high-profile “anti-vaxxers” or people who may be seen as a risk to Australia’s social order? </p>
<p>Although the government may be very happy about this result, I would question whether this is a workable precedent to set for other sportspeople, or indeed anyone, who may be seen as posing a risk to the public interest of Australia.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1482525048443670532"}"></div></p>
<h2>What the government claimed</h2>
<p>The immigration minister has the power to cancel a visa if he or she is satisfied a person’s presence in Australia <em>might</em> be a risk to the health, safety or good order of Australia and the cancellation is in the public interest. </p>
<p>The use of the word “might” is important – the minister does not need to show Djokovic <em>would</em> pose a risk, only that he <em>may</em> do so.</p>
<p>When cancelling Djokovic’s visa on Friday, <a href="https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/services/access-to-files-and-transcripts/online-files/djokovic/filed-documents/Sealed-Affidavit-Bannister-1512022.pdf">Immigration Minister Alex Hawke</a> reasoned the tennis player’s conduct and stance against vaccination may encourage others to emulate him by reason of his high profile and status. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/novak-djokovic-has-long-divided-opinion-now-his-legacy-will-be-complicated-even-further-174531">Novak Djokovic has long divided opinion. Now, his legacy will be complicated even further</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There were two issues with the ministerial statement which were discussed at some length in the full Federal Court:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Hawke did not seek the views of Djokovic on his present attitude to vaccinations. Instead, the minister cited material that made clear Djokovic has publicly expressed antivaccination sentiment. This included a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59897918">BBC article</a>, which Djokovic’s lawyers argued was not sufficient to make a judgement about his vaccination views. </p></li>
<li><p>Hawke explicitly referred to the effect Djokovic’s presence would have on public health and social order. What the minister did not consider, however, was the other side of this argument. That is, Djokovic’s deportation might lead to an increase in anti-vax sentiment and/or civil unrest. </p></li>
</ol>
<h2>What Djokovic claimed</h2>
<p>Djokovic’s lawyers made some very compelling <a href="https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/services/access-to-files-and-transcripts/online-files/djokovic/filed-documents/sealed-Applicants-revised-Submissions-1512022.pdf">arguments</a> about Hawke’s reasoning. Put simply, the lawyers said the minister had two choices: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>to cancel the visa and deport Djokovic </p></li>
<li><p>not cancel it and let him stay. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>They argued it was irrational for Hawke to only question the effect Djokovic’s presence would have on anti-vax sentiment in Australia and not the effect his deportation would have.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-one-man-with-god-like-powers-decides-if-novak-djokovic-can-stay-or-go-174773">Why one man with 'god-like' powers decides if Novak Djokovic can stay or go</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Djokovic’s lawyers also argued the minister’s findings lacked sufficient evidence to support the contention that his presence in Australia might pose a risk to the health or good order of the Australian community and the contention Djokovic had a “well-known stance on vaccination”. </p>
<p>Djokovic’s lawyers conceded Djokovic had previously said he was opposed to vaccinations. However, they pointed out in the BBC article he </p>
<blockquote>
<p>later clarified his position by adding that he was ‘no expert’ and would keep an ‘open mind’ but wanted to have ‘an option to choose what’s best for my body’. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is important to note this qualifying passage was not extracted by Hawke in his statement - a point Djokovic’s lawyers made in the hearing.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Supporters of Novak Djokovic hold Serbian flags." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440956/original/file-20220116-28-11x9wet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440956/original/file-20220116-28-11x9wet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440956/original/file-20220116-28-11x9wet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440956/original/file-20220116-28-11x9wet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440956/original/file-20220116-28-11x9wet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440956/original/file-20220116-28-11x9wet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440956/original/file-20220116-28-11x9wet.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Supporters of Novak Djokovic hold Serbian flags outside the Federal Court building in Melbourne.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tom Moldoveanu/AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why Djokovic’s case failed</h2>
<p>In response, the government argued it was reasonable to conclude Djokovic is opposed to vaccination based on his previous public statements and the fact he is known to be unvaccinated. </p>
<p>The government also said Hawke was not only concerned with Djokovic’s current views on vaccination, but the <em>public perception</em> of his views.</p>
<p>Further, the government said Hawke did not have to show Djokovic’s presence <em>has</em> fostered anti-vaccination sentiment or necessarily <em>will</em> foster it. All he needed to show was his presence in Australia <em>may</em> foster anti-vax sentiment – a relatively low threshold to reach.</p>
<p>Presumably, this is why Djokovic’s case failed. Although there were questions about the evidence used by Hawke, the Migration Act powers are very broad and it is difficult to challenge them based on unlawfulness.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1482615487066689537"}"></div></p>
<h2>Implications for the future</h2>
<p>While the Federal Court’s decision may be viewed as legally justified given the breadth of the cancellation powers in the Migration Act, some thought must be given to the future implications of these powers and what this means for the ability of the government to cancel other people’s visas.</p>
<p>The basis of Hawke’s findings seemed to be it was enough to show Djokovic is an iconic sports star who is perceived as being anti-vaccination and therefore may foster anti-vax sentiment in Australia.</p>
<p>I have a number of concerns with this.</p>
<p>First, it is unfair if the perception or actions of others can determine someone’s eligibility to remain in a country. A person may wrongly be viewed as having a particular belief and still be subject to a visa cancellation.</p>
<p>Second, the minister relied on Djokovic’s claimed status as a “role model” and his capacity as a high-profile sportsperson to apparently influence society. What if a sportsperson is unvaccinated, but not high-profile?</p>
<p>Third, and this is the most concerning point, if we extend this logic to other people, it could justify the cancellation of any individual who is seen as a “role model” and who may be perceived as causing social unrest or protests. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://twitter.com/Kate_Seear/status/1482568831264768009?s=20">legal commentators such as Kate Seear pointed out</a>, </p>
<blockquote>
<p>This kind of logic - that athletes are role models and role models can influence society […] could be extended to other athletes wanting to come here in the future, including those with diverse political views, such as supporters of Black Lives Matter and defunding police.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Lastly, the idea a person can have their visa cancelled because their views might affect the health, safety or good order of the Australian community raises issues for freedom of expression. </p>
<p>A wide cancellation power allows the government to stop international visitors who may have an important message to tell Australians. That would pose significant concerns for political debate in Australia.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175038/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maria O'Sullivan previously received funding from the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department to undertake research on automated decision-making. She also serves on the Human Rights Legal Advice Panel for the Queensland Parliament.</span></em></p>The ruling could justify the future visa cancellation of any individual who is seen as a ‘role model’ and who may be perceived as causing social unrest.Maria O'Sullivan, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, and Deputy Director, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1745312022-01-14T09:20:58Z2022-01-14T09:20:58ZNovak Djokovic has long divided opinion. Now, his legacy will be complicated even further<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440180/original/file-20220111-19-2ov96t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=119%2C9%2C2043%2C1523&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Darko Vojinovic/AP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>After a <a href="https://theconversation.com/novak-djokovics-path-to-legal-vindication-was-long-and-convoluted-it-may-also-be-fleeting-174603">convoluted</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-morrison-government-considering-whether-to-cancel-djokovics-visa-again-174604">shambolic</a> visa approval process, followed by <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open/awkward-text-message-missing-from-novak-djokovics-covid-defence/news-story/803f057cb43db573175339ecb6b9607a">questions</a> about his movements over the past month and the information provided to Australian border officials, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-14/novak-djokovic-visa-cancellation-decision-immigration-minister/100748386">cancelled</a> Novak Djokovic’s visa.</p>
<p>The decision is a major blow to Djokovic, who is tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at 20 Grand Slam singles titles, the most ever by a male player. While his lawyers will attempt to challenge the latest visa cancellation, Djokovic is unlikely to chase history at his most successful Grand Slam tournament. </p>
<p>The decision is also a blow to the Australian Open. With Federer out with injury, Djokovic and Nadal were the prime draw cards in this year’s men’s tournament. If the top-ranked Serbian player and nine-time Australian Open champion is deported, some have feared serious repercussions for the longevity of the event.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1480638226503139329"}"></div></p>
<p>Critics have gone so far as to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-07/novak-djokovic-australian-open-analysis/100742052">theorise</a> global tennis powerbrokers might look elsewhere to host the “grand slam of the Asia-Pacific”, so as</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] to be confident the tournament can proceed smoothly with strong levels of public and government support. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>In that sense, the conservative MP and former professional tennis player <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-11/novak-djokovic-australia-government-urged-not-to-deport/100748848">John Alexander</a> had urged allowing Djokovic to stay in the country, arguing: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Retaining the Australian Open as a grand slam event […] is in our national interest. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>While the Australian Open’s reputation certainly has taken a hit, its status as one of the four Grand Slam tournaments has plenty of support. The longer-term damage might be to Djokovic’s legacy.</p>
<p>Given the <a href="https://theconversation.com/secrecy-surrounding-djokovics-medical-exemption-means-star-can-expect-a-hostile-reception-on-centre-court-174331">extraordinary backstory</a> to his medical exemption from COVID vaccination to enter Australia – along with the <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open/djokovic-family-walk-out-of-press-conference-after-alarming-question/news-story/7c18532918e0be63d50fac42997d7aa6">many questions that have arisen</a> about his COVID infection in December – public opinion about him has swayed back and forth on a daily basis.</p>
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<h2>Courtside drama</h2>
<p>Djokovic has long been a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/59881229">polarising figure</a> in tennis. Despite his athleticism, endurance and mental toughness, he has sometimes been accused of <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/novak-djokovic-medical-timeouts-gamesmanship-cheating-perfectly-justified">gamesmanship</a>, “exaggerating” injuries to allow for medical pauses when an opponent has the momentum. </p>
<p>Like other players, Djokovic has also exhibited unruly behaviour on court, with occasional <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/09/us-open-final-novak-djokovic-racket-smash-meltdown">racket smashes</a>, as well as disqualification from the 2020 US Open after recklessly – albeit accidentally – smashing a ball into a <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/tennis/news/novak-djokovic-disqualified-from-2020-us-open-for-hitting-ball-at-line-judge-says-he-feels-empty-in-apology/">line judge</a>.</p>
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<img alt="Novak Djokovic checks a line judge after hitting her with a ball." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440183/original/file-20220111-27-rj7cqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440183/original/file-20220111-27-rj7cqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440183/original/file-20220111-27-rj7cqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440183/original/file-20220111-27-rj7cqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440183/original/file-20220111-27-rj7cqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440183/original/file-20220111-27-rj7cqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440183/original/file-20220111-27-rj7cqx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Novak Djokovic checks a line judge after inadvertently hitting her with a ball in reaction to losing a point at the US Open.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Seth Wenig/AP</span></span>
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<p>Compared with the much-loved Federer and Nadal, Djokovic has a <a href="https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/tennis-data-djokovic-cant-get-no-love/">narrower fan base</a>. At the Australian Open, he’s always had the effervescent support of Melbourne’s large Serbian diaspora, with their patriotic singing and flag-waving. But the mood of the rest of the crowd this year would likely have been mixed, with some undoubtedly voicing their hostility. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/secrecy-surrounding-djokovics-medical-exemption-means-star-can-expect-a-hostile-reception-on-centre-court-174331">Secrecy surrounding Djokovic's medical exemption means star can expect a hostile reception on centre court</a>
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<p>Indeed, local tennis fans would have good reason to chafe at Djokovic’s medical exemption from immunisation given the <a href="https://ausopen.com/covid-safe">stringent COVID protocols</a> they must follow to attend the Australian Open.</p>
<p>The tournament requires fans to be double-vaccinated or provide evidence of a <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/getting-proof-your-covid-19-vaccinations-if-you-cant-have-them-for-medical-reasons?context=60091">medical exemption</a>. However, unlike Djokovic’s peculiar defence, prior COVID status does not absolve local residents from the need to be double-vaccinated, with “<a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/immunisation-medical-exemptions?context=22436">previous infection</a>” no basis for an exemption.</p>
<h2>Grand slammed?</h2>
<p>Further complicating Djokovic’s legacy is the question of whether he’ll now face visa difficulties at the other tennis majors. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant may alter the rules for unvaccinated players in different countries and tournaments. </p>
<p>As things stand, Djokovic appears to face no vaccine-related impediment to competing at the French Open in a few months. The <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2022/01/07/novak-djokovic-is-able-to-play-the-french-open-but-what-about-wimbledon-and-the-us-open/">French sports minister</a> has said Djokovic “would be able to take part”, although unlike vaccinated players he would need to follow “<a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/france-says-djokovic-allowed-play-roland-garros-2421386">health bubble</a>” protocols. </p>
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<p>French President Emmanuel Macron, however, has made headlines by declaring he wants to “piss off” the unvaccinated – in part by mandating a “<a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/france-macron-piss-unvaccinated-covid19-2415411">health pass</a>” for public venues, a requirement for which is to be vaccinated. Whether Macron insists on changes for competitors at Roland-Garros remains to be seen.</p>
<p>As far as Wimbledon is concerned, unvaccinated international arrivals to the United Kingdom are currently required to take repeat COVID tests over several days, plus <a href="https://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/2022/01/update-uk-eases-travel-rules-for-the-fully-vaccinated">quarantine for ten days</a> at a residence of their choice. </p>
<p>Djokovic would, presumably, look to a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2022/01/07/novak-djokovic-is-able-to-play-the-french-open-but-what-about-wimbledon-and-the-us-open/">rent a house</a> with a lawn tennis court attached.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/novak-djokovics-path-to-legal-vindication-was-long-and-convoluted-it-may-also-be-fleeting-174603">Novak Djokovic's path to legal vindication was long and convoluted. It may also be fleeting</a>
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<p>The US Open seems less certain. The unvaccinated <a href="https://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/32128601/vaccine-requirements-specific-new-york-city-san-francisco-enforced-teams-cities-nba-memo-says">are not permitted in specific indoor venues</a> in New York without a medical exemption. </p>
<p>So, if one of Djokovic’s matches on the showcourts at the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2022/01/07/novak-djokovic-is-able-to-play-the-french-open-but-what-about-wimbledon-and-the-us-open/?sh=36b2d48a660f">US Open</a> was affected by rain and the roof needed to be closed, it is not clear what organisers would do. He might be forced to forfeit the match.</p>
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<img alt="Djokovic at the US Open" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440184/original/file-20220111-21-x0a57l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440184/original/file-20220111-21-x0a57l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440184/original/file-20220111-21-x0a57l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440184/original/file-20220111-21-x0a57l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440184/original/file-20220111-21-x0a57l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440184/original/file-20220111-21-x0a57l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440184/original/file-20220111-21-x0a57l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Without getting vaccinated, Djokovic’s return to the US Open is far from certain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Seth Wenig/AP</span></span>
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<h2>The Djokovic legacy</h2>
<p>Given Djokovic has been less prone to injury than Federer or Nadal and is coming off one of his best years on tour, he is still likely to retire with the most men’s grand slam titles. If so, he can rightfully be feted as the greatest male tennis star of all time. </p>
<p>But <em>how</em> he will be remembered is a more complicated question. In one sense, Djokovic appears to revel in being depicted as the “arch-nemesis” of Federer and Nadal – it has fuelled his desire to surpass their grand slam title hauls.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-one-man-with-god-like-powers-decides-if-novak-djokovic-can-stay-or-go-174773">Why one man with 'god-like' powers decides if Novak Djokovic can stay or go</a>
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<p>Yet, for all his tennis greatness, Djokovic often attracts eye-rolling outside the court – not simply in relation to his views on vaccines, but the wider <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/fitness/how-science-sceptic-novak-djokovic-became-a-pin-up-for-the-anti-vaxx-movement/ar-AASuWiV">pseudo-scientific</a> ruminations that underpin his public pronouncements. </p>
<p>As the Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has put it, Djokovic seems “<a href="https://tennishead.net/novak-djokovic-is-a-very-strange-cat-says-nick-kyrgios-as-war-of-words-escalates-further/">a very strange cat</a>”. </p>
<p>The drama from the past week will have an effect on the way others view him, too. It will inflame his supporters, infuriate his detractors, and prompt even neutral observers to take a stand in respect to his entry to Australia. When it comes to Novak Djokovic, everyone will now surely have an opinion.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174531/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daryl Adair does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>With his Australian visa now cancelled for a second time, the tennis star will likely not be able to chase history at his most successful Grand Slam tournament.Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1749682022-01-14T08:06:42Z2022-01-14T08:06:42ZNovak Djokovic’s visa cancelled ‘in the public interest’, with possible 3-year ban from Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440821/original/file-20220114-19-1hz8n3n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=431%2C39%2C3928%2C2758&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mark Baker/AP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced late Friday he had cancelled tennis star Novak Djokovic’s visa “on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so”.</p>
<p>Djokovic’s lawyers immediately went to court to seek an injunction against his deportation. </p>
<p>The government had delayed all week responding to the Federal Circuit Court’s Monday quashing of the original decision by Border Force officials to cancel the Serbian player’s visa when he arrived in Australia.</p>
<p>The delay was partly due to extensive material provided by Djokovic’s laywers. But also, after being humiliated by the overturning of the initial visa cancellation, the government was anxious to make sure Hawke’s action would withstand a fresh challenge.</p>
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<p>There has been strong public reaction against Djokovic, which has also been a factor in the government’s thinking. But at a diplomatic level, Serbia reacted sharply against the initial cancellation of his visa. </p>
<p>Djokovic was seeking a tenth title at the Australian Open, which starts on Monday. The draw pitted him against a fellow Serbian player in the first round.</p>
<p>Hawke said in his Friday night statement: “The Morrison government is firmly committed to protecting Australia’s borders, particularly in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic”.</p>
<p>Djokovic, who is unvaccinated, obtained a medical exemption under a Tennis Australia and Victorian government process on the grounds he had tested positive for COVID last month and therefore did not need to be vaccinated. But this was not accepted by the federal government. </p>
<p>Hawke said: “In making this decision, I carefully considered information provided to me by the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force and Mr Djokovic”.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison also released a statement expressing support for Hawke’s decision. </p>
<p>“This pandemic has been incredibly difficult for every Australian but we have stuck together and saved lives and livelihoods,” he said. </p>
<p>“Australians have made many sacrifices during this pandemic, and they rightly expect the result of those sacrifices to be protected,” he added. “This is what the minister is doing in taking this action today.”</p>
<p>The federal government conceded in Monday’s court case that Djokovic had not received procedural fairness when he was interviewed at Melbourne’s airport upon arrival. The interview took place in the early hours on January 6, which meant he did not have the opportunity to contact advisers.</p>
<p>But while Border Force has come under criticism within the government over its handling of the matter, Hawke said pointedly in his statement, “I thank the officers of the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force who work every day to serve Australia’s interests in increasingly challenging operational environments.”</p>
<p>The immigration minister has broad discretionary powers under <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ma1958118/s133c.html">section 133C (3) of the Migration Act</a> to cancel visas on public interest grounds, including on the grounds of health, safety or good order.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-one-man-with-god-like-powers-decides-if-novak-djokovic-can-stay-or-go-174773">Why one man with 'god-like' powers decides if Novak Djokovic can stay or go</a>
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<p>Following Hawke’s decision, the law dictates that Djokovic will not be able to be granted another visa for three years, except in certain circumstances. These include compelling circumstances that affect the interests of Australia or compassionate or compelling circumstances affecting the interests of an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.</p>
<p>Hawke did not address whether Djokovic was likely to be able to obtain a visa before the end of the three-year period.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174968/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The government has been anxious to ensure a second visa cancellation could withstand a fresh challenge from Djokovic’s lawyers.Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1747842022-01-12T09:59:31Z2022-01-12T09:59:31ZDjokovic admits doing photoshoot knowing he was COVID positive<p>Novak Djokovic on Wednesday admitted he undertook an interview and photoshoot in Serbia last month after a receiving a positive COVID test result. </p>
<p>He also conceded information on his Travel Declaration to Australian authorities was incorrect, attributing that to a “human error” by his agent.</p>
<p>Earlier, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić told the BBC it would be “a clear breach of Serbian rules” if Djokovic had been in public after a positive Covid test. “If you’re positive you have to be in isolation,” she said.</p>
<p>As the tennis star fought to resist a second cancellation of his visa, his lawyers submitted more material to Immigration Minister Alex Hawke.</p>
<p>Hawke’s office indicated the decision on Djokovic’s fate was delayed while the minister considered this.</p>
<p>“Mr Djokovic’s lawyers have recently provided lengthy further submissions and supporting documentation said to be relevant to the possible cancellation of Mr Djokovic’s visa. Naturally, this will affect the timeframe for a decision,” Hawke’s spokesman said.</p>
<p>Djokovic took to social media to address what he said was “continuing misinformation” about his activities in the lead up to his positive COVID test result in December.</p>
<p>He said this needed correction, “particularly in the interest of alleviating broader concern in the community about my presence in Australia, and to address matters which are very hurtful and concerning to my family”.</p>
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<p>Djokovic said he had attended a basketball game on December 14 in Belgrade. After it was reported people there had tested positive, although he had no symptoms, he took a rapid antigen test (RAT) on December 16, which was negative. “Out of an abundance of caution” he also had a PCR test that day. </p>
<p>The following day he presented awards to children at a tennis event, after taking a RAT before the event, which was negative.</p>
<p>“I was asymptomatic and felt good, and I had not received the notification of a positive PCR result until after that event.”</p>
<p>On December 18 he fulfilled a commitment for a L'Equipe interview and photoshoot, but cancelled other events. He did not want to let down the journalist, he said, adding he wore a mask except when being photographed. He then isolated. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/novak-djokovic-the-legal-problem-of-having-one-rule-for-some-another-for-everyone-else-174655">Novak Djokovic: the legal problem of having one rule for some, another for everyone else</a>
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<p>He said that “on reflection” he had made “an error of judgement” – “I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment”. </p>
<p>Djokovic acknowledged the falsity of the information on his travel declaration, which Border Force has been probing. The declaration asks “Have you travelled, or will you travel, in the 14 days prior to your flight to Australia?” His form said he had not, when in fact he had been in Belgrade within the period before leaving Spain, where he lives, for Australia.</p>
<p>In his social media post, he said the declaration was submitted by his support team and “my agent sincerely apologises for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box about my previous travel”. </p>
<p>“This was a human error and certainly not deliberate.” Additional information had been given to the federal government to clarify this matter, he said.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/novak-djokovics-path-to-legal-vindication-was-long-and-convoluted-it-may-also-be-fleeting-174603">Novak Djokovic's path to legal vindication was long and convoluted. It may also be fleeting</a>
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<p>Before his statement, Djokovic’s mother Dijana Djokovic appeared on Australian morning TV, saying she was very worried his visa would be cancelled again. </p>
<p>“Don’t throw him out, he is tennis player, he is not politician, he is not criminal, he is not murderer, he’s just tennis player, the best in the world, just let him play,” she said on the Seven Network.</p>
<p>Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said Border Force would “be looking at everything that happened in relation to timings of the interview process” that culminated in the cancellation of the unvaccinatred Djokovic’s visa at the border last week. </p>
<p>That decision was overturned in court on Monday, with the government conceding he had not been accorded procedural fairness in the interview process.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174784/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Djokovic addressed what he said was “continuing misinformation”, confirming he fulfilled a commitment for an interview and photoshoot after testing positive for COVID.Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1746982022-01-11T09:27:01Z2022-01-11T09:27:01ZMorrison government investigating whether Djokovic made erroneous travel declaration<p>The Morrison government is now investigating the possible inaccuracy of Novak Djokovic’s travel declaration, as Serbia continues its pressure on Australia over the treatment of the tennis star.</p>
<p>Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić told Scott Morrison in a call on Tuesday morning Australian time that Djokovic’s rights should be respected. </p>
<p>Brnabić, who sought the call, asked Morrison to do all in his power to ensure Djokovic would have humane and dignified treatment in Australia, according to a report from a Serbian news agency. </p>
<p>A readout from Morrison’s office described the call as “constructive”. </p>
<p>“The PM explained our non-discriminatory border policy and its role in protecting Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the readout said.</p>
<p>“They both agreed to stay in contact on the issue, and to further strengthening the bilateral relationship.” </p>
<p>Djokovic’s visa was restored in a federal circuit court win on Monday, when the Commonwealth admitted Border Force had not afforded him procedural fairness last week when his visa was cancelled. </p>
<p>The cancellation was on the grounds he had not met the criteria for a medical exemption from vaccination. </p>
<h2>Attention turns to the word ‘no’</h2>
<p>But now official attention has also turned to his travel declaration.
The declaration asks arrivals, “Have you travelled, or will you travel, in the 14 days prior to your flight to Australia?” His form said no.</p>
<p>Djokovic, who lives in Spain, left from there for Australia on January 4, transiting through Dubai. Social media had him in Belgrade on December 25.
Border Force is looking into whether the information in the declaration was inaccurate. </p>
<p>Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is currently considering whether to use his discretion to cancel Djokovic’s visa again.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/novak-djokovics-path-to-legal-vindication-was-long-and-convoluted-it-may-also-be-fleeting-174603">Novak Djokovic's path to legal vindication was long and convoluted. It may also be fleeting</a>
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<p>The government concedes Border Force blundered on procedural fairness but it still contends Djokovic has not met the vaccination exemption criteria. </p>
<p>Hawke’s spokesman on Tuesday said the visa issue was “ongoing”. </p>
<p>The minister is considering a brief that contains material from both the Home Affairs department and Djokovic. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, despite the uncertainty about his prospects of playing in it, after his days of enforced confinement Djokovic is now back on court preparing for the Australian Open.</p>
<p>After Monday’s result, he posted on social media that “despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete” at the Australian Open.</p>
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<p>“I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans,” he said.</p>
<p>There are mixed views in the government on whether it should cancel Djokovic’s visa again.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/vaccinated-or-not-novak-djokovic-should-be-able-to-play-173060">Vaccinated or not, Novak Djokovic should be able to play</a>
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<p>Liberal backbencher and former professional tennis player John Alexander said that after the court outcome it would be a mistake for Hawke to use his ministerial power to deport Djokovic. </p>
<p>Alexander pointed the finger at Border Force, telling the ABC that “the person who processed Novak possibly made an error, late at night”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174698/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Asked whether he had travelled, or would travel, in the 14 days prior to his flight to Australia, Djokovic’s form said no.Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1746042022-01-10T11:25:03Z2022-01-10T11:25:03ZView from The Hill: Morrison government considering whether to cancel Djokovic’s visa – again<p>A sense of proportion is a very useful quality in politics. In the case of Novak Djokovic, the Morrison government has lost that sense entirely.</p>
<p>Late Monday in the Federal Circuit Court, Judge Anthony Kelly quashed last week’s cancellation of the tennis star’s visa, done on his arrival in Australia to play in the Australian Open.</p>
<p>The judge read a minute, agreed to by both sides, which said Djokovic wasn’t given sufficient opportunity to respond at the border (the saga went through the early hours, when he couldn’t contact people).</p>
<p>With Djokovic’s court win, the government immediately faced an invidious choice – accept its humiliation or launch a fresh, hairy-chested offensive.</p>
<p>Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has the power to move, under his ministerial discretion, to cancel the now-restored visa. </p>
<p>On Monday night, a spokesman for Hawke said “the minister is currently considering the matter and the process remains ongoing”.</p>
<p>Surely, it would have been better for the government to just cut its losses at once. The speaker of Serbia’s parliament, Ivica Dacic, made some sense in saying “the process should have ended when the court ruled”.</p>
<p>Most Australians – in a highly vaccinated population – would struggle with the tennis star’s resistance to the jab. It seems perverse and irresponsible. Many would say he should not have been allowed to get on a plane to come to Australia, whether or not he had met the (unclear) technicalities of the medical exemption criteria. </p>
<p>All fair enough. But the government shenanigans after he was granted a visa and arrived at Melbourne airport blew the matter into a diplomatic incident, and the theatre of the absurd. </p>
<p>Some commentators argue the government calculated that throwing Djokovic out would be a political distraction from the horrors of the escalating Omicron crisis. </p>
<p>But really? Would people struggling with illness, the search for tests, and the disruption to employment and businesses, have their attention so readily diverted? Certainly not for more than an instant.</p>
<p>Looked at rationally, it is near impossible to understand why the government chose to get itself into this mess. Or why it left things hanging after the court decision.</p>
<p>It would be a stretch to argue Djokovic is a danger to public health. Earlier in the pandemic, the unvaccinated player might have been a COVID risk – that is, when we had more or less “suppressed” the virus. That’s hardly the case now, when the latest COVID wave is spreading – and being allowed by the authorities to spread – like wildfire.</p>
<p>The government may have wanted to use a tall poppy to reinforce that “tough-borders” message – you don’t get in if you don’t follow “the rules”, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. </p>
<p>But the evidence given in Monday’s court case indicated Djokovic arrived thinking he had followed the rules. And it turns out the government got its comeuppance from the court for not abiding by procedural rules. </p>
<p>Kelly declared during the hearing, “The point I’m somewhat agitated about is what more could this man have done” to comply with the rules. Anyway, it defies common sense to believe Djokovic would have undertaken the trip unless he thought things were in order. </p>
<p>The federal and Victorian governments, Tennis Australia, Border Force and Djokovic himself all share responsibility for this inglorious episode, which has been laced with confusion. </p>
<p>Assuming Djokovic arrived on a sincere misapprehension, the sensible course would have been for the government to have found a way through rather than resorting to its heavy handedness at the border. This has made Australia look like hicksville, and been bad for the reputation of the Australian Open. </p>
<p>Serbia mightn’t be France, but its president can also pack a punch when national pride is at stake. </p>
<p>Turning Serbia’s national hero into Australia’s national villain has been harder than the government thought. It’s become an own goal for the government’s latest “operation sovereign borders” chapter.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174604/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Turning Serbia’s national hero into Australia’s national villain has been harder than the government thought. It’s an own goal for the latest “operation sovereign borders” chapter.Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of CanberraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1746032022-01-10T10:11:42Z2022-01-10T10:11:42ZNovak Djokovic’s path to legal vindication was long and convoluted. It may also be fleeting<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439928/original/file-20220109-15-yitdy6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=288%2C11%2C2092%2C1751&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Hamish Blair/AP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Novak Djokovic is – at least for now – free to defend his title at the Australian Open after Judge Anthony Kelly of the Federal Circuit and Family Court quashed the cancellation of his visa following an agreement between the tennis star’s lawyers and the government. </p>
<p>After a confusing day-long hearing involving dense legal arguments, Djokovic was ordered to be released from immigration detention on procedural grounds – the judge said he hadn’t been given enough time to contest the original cancellation of his visa last Thursday morning. </p>
<p>But this left unresolved the bigger question of whether Djokovic was entitled to rely upon a medical exemption from Tennis Australia to enter the country and compete in the tournament without being vaccinated against COVID-19.</p>
<p>It is entirely possible Djokovic’s success in these proceedings is a hollow victory, with the government’s lawyer flagging Immigration Minister Alex Hawke will now consider whether to exercise his personal power to cancel the tennis star’s visa for a second time.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1480477311623434242"}"></div></p>
<h2>Grounds to challenge the visa cancellation</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-10/djokovic-melbourne-court-battle-monday/100746234">saga</a> surrounding the nine-time Australian Open champion has gripped the sporting world since Djokovic was detained upon arriving in Melbourne last week due to questions about his <a href="https://theconversation.com/secrecy-surrounding-djokovics-medical-exemption-means-star-can-expect-a-hostile-reception-on-centre-court-174331">medical exemption</a> from vaccination to play in the tournament starting on January 17.</p>
<p>Djokovic was moved to immigration detention in Melbourne’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-09/park-hotel-detainee-speak-out/100745456">notorious Park Hotel</a> following the cancellation of his visa. His lawyers then lodged an application to challenge that cancellation through judicial review proceedings. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Protest outside hotel where Novak Djokovic is being detained." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439930/original/file-20220109-13-19hwcqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439930/original/file-20220109-13-19hwcqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439930/original/file-20220109-13-19hwcqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439930/original/file-20220109-13-19hwcqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439930/original/file-20220109-13-19hwcqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439930/original/file-20220109-13-19hwcqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439930/original/file-20220109-13-19hwcqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Protesters gather outside an immigration detention hotel in Melbourne where Serbia’s Novak Djokovic has been held since last week.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Hamish Blair/AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The process of judicial review allows a judge to examine the lawfulness of government decision-making. It is a limited process, not concerned with whether a right, preferable or fair decision has been made, but only whether the decision followed the proper legal processes and requirements. </p>
<p>Before the hearing began today, Djokovic’s lawyers had <a href="https://www.fcfcoa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-01/MLG%2035%20of%202022%20-%20Applicant%27s%20submissions.pdf">put forth</a> eight distinct grounds for why, in their submission, the decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa was not lawful. </p>
<p>These included some technical issues, such as a contention the notice given to Djokovic to cancel his visa was invalid and the decision was based on nonexistent grounds under the Migration Act. </p>
<p>Similarly, his lawyers argued the process was unfair as Djokovic was “pressured” to agree to a decision on his visa without first consulting his lawyers.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1480326248249249792"}"></div></p>
<h2>The bigger question around a medical exemption</h2>
<p>The substance of Djokovic’s challenge, however, revolved around his assertion that by testing positive to COVID-19 on December 16, he was exempt from any requirement to be vaccinated for six months. </p>
<p>His lawyers based this argument on guidelines set by ATAGI, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, which <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021/12/atagi-advice-on-the-definition-of-fully-vaccinated.pdf">said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>COVID-19 vaccination in people who have had PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection can be deferred for a maximum of six months after the acute illness, as a temporary exemption due to acute major medical illness. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>In response, the government argued this approach was an inaccurate reading of the guidelines, saying that mere previous infection would not be enough to allow an unvaccinated person entry into Australia. In essence, the guidance provides for a deferment of vaccination, not a reason to avoid it altogether.</p>
<p>Moreover, the Commonwealth argued Djokovic’s reliance on the Tennis Australia exemption letter was misguided, and ultimately he did not provide sufficient information to justify entry without vaccination. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/secrecy-surrounding-djokovics-medical-exemption-means-star-can-expect-a-hostile-reception-on-centre-court-174331">Secrecy surrounding Djokovic's medical exemption means star can expect a hostile reception on centre court</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The medical exemption from Tennis Australia was a matter of significant disagreement between the parties. In the hearing, Kelly seemed to show some deference to Djokovic’s argument, saying:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Here, a professor and an eminently qualified physician have produced and provided to the applicant a medical exemption. Further to that, that medical exemption and the basis on which it was given was separately given by a further independent expert specialist panel established by the Victorian state government […] The point I am agitated about is, what more could this man have done?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Commonwealth argued that irrespective of what Tennis Australia or the Victorian government may have decided, it is the federal government’s decision whether a visa ought be cancelled on public health grounds. </p>
<p>And this highlights the significant powers of the federal government in immigration matters, and that ultimately, according to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/09/australian-government-fails-in-bid-to-delay-novak-djokovic-court-hearing-by-two-days">government’s court filings</a>, there is “no such thing as an assurance of entry by a non-citizen into Australia”. </p>
<h2>What could happen next</h2>
<p>Both sides agreed late in the day Djokovic hadn’t been given enough time to respond to the notification to cancel his visa. He was informed by border officials he would have until 8:30am on Thursday to respond, but his visa was cancelled at 7:42am. On this basis, Kelly ordered Djokovic to be released. </p>
<p>But the government’s lawyer immediately foreshadowed Hawke would consider using his personal power to cancel Djokovic’s visa again. </p>
<p>If such a decision is made, we should expect further litigation. Kelly said he expected to be “fully informed in advance” if he is required for future proceedings, ominously observing “the stakes have risen rather than receded”.</p>
<p>Kelly also noted Djokovic could be barred from re-entering Australia for three years if the personal power of the minister was used, though <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/novak-djokovic-court-case-live-updates-serbian-tennis-star-fights-to-play-in-2022-australian-open-20220110-p59n0m.html">reports suggested</a> this exclusion period could be waived.</p>
<p>For now, Djokovic is a free man. But it remains to be seen whether he will be spending the next few days on a tennis court or back in a federal court.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/who-cant-have-a-covid-vaccine-and-how-do-i-get-a-medical-exemption-168371">Who can’t have a COVID vaccine and how do I get a medical exemption?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174603/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joe McIntyre does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The tennis star was granted a reprieve on procedural grounds, but it left the larger question of his entitlement to a medical exemption from vaccination unanswered.Joe McIntyre, Associate Professor of Law, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1730602021-12-09T04:27:22Z2021-12-09T04:27:22ZVaccinated or not, Novak Djokovic should be able to play<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436567/original/file-20211209-159504-1j5ed0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=156%2C0%2C4105%2C3119&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Andy Brownbill/AP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Novak Djokovic told the media last week “<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/you-ll-know-very-soon-djokovic-close-to-australian-open-decision-20211204-p59esh.html">you will know very soon</a>” if he is going to play in the Australian Open in January, for a chance to win a tenth title. He is on the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-08/australian-open-novak-djokovic-named-on-entry-list/100683516">list of entrants to the tournament</a>, but he has not yet clarified whether he will participate and under what conditions. </p>
<p>With the tournament set to begin in just over a month, speculation has been running wild regarding Djokovic’s vaccination status (he has declined to say publicly), as well as whether <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/medical-exemptions-not-a-loophole-for-privileged-tennis-players-merlino-20211208-p59ft8.html">special medical exemptions</a> could be provided to unvaccinated players to compete in Melbourne. </p>
<p>Tennis Australia has mandated all players must be vaccinated to play or provide a medical exemption. It has strongly denied any “loopholes” would be available to players seeking an exemption.</p>
<p>The Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula has reiterated the government’s top priority was the safety of the “<a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open/victoria-returns-serve-over-djokovics-fathers-vaccine-blackmail-claims/news-story/c5bc5ea756308f89157a82b729f64004">Victorian community</a>”. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1468743768136462341"}"></div></p>
<p>Yet, Djokovic’s unclear vaccination status – and his preeminent position in the sport – has (again) raised questions about vaccine mandates.</p>
<p>Djovokic’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, has called the mandates a form of <a href="https://au.sports.yahoo.com/tennis-australian-open-2021-novak-djokovic-fears-after-father-blackmail-claim-223619908.html">blackmail</a> and suggested his son will not play under these conditions. </p>
<p>Djokovic himself claims to favour freedom of choice, but his reluctance to be clear with Tennis Australia and the public obscures what should be a simple issue. His vaccination status shouldn’t matter – he should still be able to play. </p>
<h2>Special rules for elite athletes?</h2>
<p>Throughout the COVID pandemic, Tennis Australia and other sporting organisations have led the way in organising large-scale events in a safe and responsible way without them becoming COVID super-spreaders. </p>
<p>We should trust the organisations to work closely with the Commonwealth and state governments to develop COVID protocols that will allow sports to continue and keep locals safe. These should be bespoke rather than general, and could include a range of strategies other than vaccine mandates, such as masking, quarantines, social distancing, and COVID bubbles.</p>
<p>If Djokovic is unvaccinated, his entry into Australia would seemingly be against <a href="https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions">Commonwealth policy</a>. But the government already makes exceptions for elite athletes in many ways. </p>
<p>This might rankle with everyday people – a separate and seemingly less rigorous border policy for athletes – but athletes have always had different rules when it comes to overseas travel and work. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tokyo-olympics-an-ethical-approach-will-determine-whether-athletes-should-get-vaccinated-ahead-of-the-public-153046">Tokyo Olympics: An ethical approach will determine whether athletes should get vaccinated ahead of the public</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/sportsperson-visa">Most countries have a special visa procedures for elite athletes</a>, for instance. Before COVID, athletes coming to Australia also bypassed many ordinary border rules around importing equipment and goods and earning money without long-term working rights. </p>
<p>These special rules have continued during the pandemic. Freedom for athletes to travel has been a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qhm27">cornerstone principle for many sporting organisations</a>, such as the International Olympic Committee. For example, the <a href="https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/32306937/organizers-detail-covid-19-rules-beijing-winter-olympics">IOC is currently working with the Chinese government</a> to allow travel for unvaccinated athletes for the 2022 Winter Olympics (with a 21-day quarantine), even though China’s borders have been closed to most other travellers.</p>
<p><a href="https://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2021/05/06/travel-for-elite-athletes-during-covid-19-a-graphical-guide/">Extensive</a> <a href="https://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2020/11/28/covid-19-rt-pcr-testing-for-elite-athletes-recommendations-for-elite-sport/?int_source=trendmd&int_medium=cpc&int_campaign=usage-042019">research</a> has been done by sporting organisations on how to host events like this safely.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1362045647189381131"}"></div></p>
<h2>A proven track record</h2>
<p>In Australia, who needs to be reminded athletes have already enjoyed special rules that made their travel possible when everyone else was locked down? </p>
<p>In 2020, AFL and NRL players – and in some cases, their families – travelled widely into <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league/qld-government-under-fire-after-one-hundred-nrl-families-hop-over-closed-border-c-3828015">states with border lockdowns</a>. Australian athletes have also been the beneficiaries of special hotel quarantine provisions, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/australian-olympians-vaccines-priority-access-1.6003546">priority access to vaccinations</a>, and forewarnings from government officials about border closures. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/on-the-eve-of-an-aflm-grand-final-like-no-other-can-the-shadow-of-the-pandemic-make-us-strive-for-something-better-167792">On the eve of an AFLM grand final like no other, can the shadow of the pandemic make us strive for something better?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Actors, business executives, and politicians have similarly had less onerous border and travel restrictions than ordinary Australians. These industries bring in valuable dollars, but they also serve important public functions, including providing entertainment and leadership. </p>
<p>Different rules might have set the stage for <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-nrl-should-reconsider-its-comeback-its-too-soon-137079">stadiums to become COVID super-spreaders</a>, but sporting organisations have proven their critics wrong. </p>
<p>For example, even without vaccines, the 2021 Australian Open was kept safe through the use of <a href="https://www.espn.com.au/tennis/story/_/id/30858061/australian-open-covid-19-faq-rules-testing-protocols-more">restricted fan zones, mandatory masking, social distancing, frequent testing of players and staff, electronic line calling</a>, and of course the much-maligned mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine on arrival.</p>
<p>The US Open <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/us-open-gives-tennis-australia-hope-for-having-unvaccinated-players-at-grand-slam-20211026-p593cf.html">did not mandate vaccines</a> for players this year. Players were instead tested when they arrived in the US and then every four days, and they were ordered into isolation if they returned a positive result. (Fans, however, were required to be vaccinated.)</p>
<p>Recently, Football Australia successfully navigated a COVID scare when <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/socceroos-to-return-home-after-two-years-as-matildas-escape-covid-scare-20211028-p5943z.html">a Matilda tested positive</a> after returning to Sydney for a friendly match against Brazil. The protocols put in place – including isolating the positive player immediately – prevented any further spread and the Matildas hosted two successful games. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-olympics-still-be-cancelled-yes-but-the-legal-and-financial-fallout-would-be-staggering-161739">Can the Olympics still be cancelled? Yes, but the legal and financial fallout would be staggering</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What is the cost?</h2>
<p>Without special exemptions for athletes, our sporting organisations would take a major financial hit. </p>
<p>The NBA went ahead with its playoffs in 2020 with a COVID bubble (and without crowds), as did the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Cancelling both <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-the-olympics-still-be-cancelled-yes-but-the-legal-and-financial-fallout-would-be-staggering-161739">would have cost</a> <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tommybeer/2020/10/20/report-nbas-bubble-prevented-15-billion-in-losses/?sh=3c951f433823">billions of dollars</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436581/original/file-20211209-19-19xd9j6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436581/original/file-20211209-19-19xd9j6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436581/original/file-20211209-19-19xd9j6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436581/original/file-20211209-19-19xd9j6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436581/original/file-20211209-19-19xd9j6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436581/original/file-20211209-19-19xd9j6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436581/original/file-20211209-19-19xd9j6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The NBA playoff bubble cost some US$190 million to organise, but the NBA recouped US$1.5 billion in revenue that would have been lost.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ashley Landis/AP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To be sure, COVID bubbles cost money, but they are justified due to the long-term financial benefits these events can bring. For instance, Tennis Australia reported <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-03/tennis-australia-100-million-loss-covid-australian-open/100671988">A$100 million in losses</a> from June 2020 to September 2021 due to cost of hosting the 2021 Australian Open. </p>
<p>However, in the past decade, the Australian Open has contributed more than <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/ao-2020-delivers-record-benefits-victoria">A$2.7 billion</a> to the Victorian economy.</p>
<p>The 2022 Australian Open will be the first Grand Slam to require player vaccinations. Tournament director Craig Tiley’s position is understandable. Hemmed in by the need to protect his employees from the threat of infection, as well as his desire to work with the Victorian government, the Australian Open and Tennis Australia seem less receptive to risk than other sporting organisations.</p>
<p>However, the fact remains that COVID is already here. It is unlikely to be spread much further due to any sporting competition and we need to consider new ways of living with it, and each other, in the coming year.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173060/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keith Rathbone does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Throughout the pandemic, sporting organisations have proven they can organise large-scale events in a safe and responsible way, without mandated vaccines for athletes.Keith Rathbone, Senior Lecturer, Modern European History and Sports History, Macquarie UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1541852021-02-05T03:09:56Z2021-02-05T03:09:56ZWho is (probably) today’s best male tennis player?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381619/original/file-20210201-23-1wk2nnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=63%2C0%2C3797%2C2822&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock/G Stock Studio</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When you ask that question, three names come to mind: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.</p>
<p>A simple way to compare tennis players is to look at how many grand slam tournaments they have won. That includes victories at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon in the UK and the US Open. </p>
<p>But this doesn’t take into account how many tournaments they’ve played, which tournaments they’ve played, how far they progressed in each tournament, and who they played against.</p>
<h2>Probably the best player</h2>
<p>My method estimates the <em>probability</em> of a player winning a match in a grand slam tournament. The player with the highest estimated probability of winning a match is then deemed the best player.</p>
<p>Using probability naturally accommodates how many matches and tournaments the player has played, and acknowledges the strong performance of a player who makes a final but doesn’t win the tournament.</p>
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<p>The method builds a statistical model to estimate winning probabilities for each player from <a href="https://www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com/">grand slam data</a>. </p>
<p>By using a technique called regression modelling, it accounts for the fact the winning probability may depend on the quality of the opposition and the grand slam played. For example, some players have preference for hard courts (used at the Australian and US Opens) over clay (used at Roland Garros, home of the French Open).</p>
<p>The opposition quality is inferred from their ranking, and we consider five groups: the top 10, top 20, top 50, top 100 and outside the top 100. These group choices are consistent with terminology used by commentators and pundits.</p>
<p>Another advantage of using a statistical model is that we can make the most of the available data, which is quite small given there are only four grand slam tournaments per year.</p>
<p>For example, if the data support it, the model can enforce a similar pattern of performance against the quality of opposition across tournaments. This is a form of “borrowing of strength” to increase the accuracy of probability estimates from small datasets.</p>
<h2>Oh, the uncertainty</h2>
<p>Using a statistical approach allows us to quantify the uncertainty in probability estimates. Here we communicate uncertainty as an interval (lower and upper limit), that contains the true winning probability with a 95% chance.</p>
<p>So, for example, if the estimated winning probability for a player is 0.77 with an interval of 0.63 to 0.86, it means that our best guess of the winning probability is 0.77. But there is a 95% chance the actual winning probability is between 0.63 and 0.86. This tells us how much uncertainty there is about our best guess.</p>
<p>The amount of uncertainty depends on the number of matches played and the winning probability. There will naturally be more uncertainty if the actual winning probability is around 0.5, that means an even chance of winning or losing.</p>
<p>The results are shown in the figures (below). Each square represents the best probability estimate for Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, and the vertical line represents the uncertainty interval.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph for the Australian Open" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381595/original/file-20210201-15-nonavb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Drovandi</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph for the French Open" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381596/original/file-20210201-23-1ioyjd7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Drovandi</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph for Wimbledon" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381597/original/file-20210201-23-167z5qb.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Drovandi</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Graph for US Open" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/381598/original/file-20210201-17-dpi9bp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Drovandi</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>The winner is …</h2>
<p>For the Australian Open, there is evidence to suggest that Djokovic is the top-performing male player.</p>
<p>But given the overlapping uncertainty intervals in the probability estimates with the other players, it is difficult to definitively state this.</p>
<p>It is difficult to separate the three players at the US Open. Wimbledon appears to be the tournament that Federer shines the most relative to the other players, but again there is significant overlap in the intervals.</p>
<p>Although there is some evidence that Nadal is the worst-performing player at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon (which is played on grass courts), he is the undisputed champion at the French Open.</p>
<p>Incredibly, Nadal has an estimated probability around 0.93 to win a game against a top 10 player at this tournament. This clearly shows Nadal’s dominance on clay courts. The French Open is a relative Achilles’ heel for Federer.</p>
<p>The analysis reveals some other interesting results. For example, the results suggest Nadal performs similarly against top 20 and top 50 players, as does Djokovic.</p>
<p>But there is generally a big drop in winning probability against top 10 players.</p>
<p>Apart from some cases (Nadal at the French Open, Djokovic at the Australian Open and Federer at Wimbledon), the chance that one of these champion players beats a top 10 player in a grand slam isn’t much better than a coin toss.</p>
<h2>And the best player is …</h2>
<p>On the women’s side, it’s widely accepted that Serena Williams is the top player in the modern era, and possibly of all time. Williams has won the most grand slams of any current player, male or female.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/all-that-slipping-and-sliding-on-tennis-courts-prevents-injuries-a-biomechanics-expert-explains-how-106938">All that slipping and sliding on tennis courts prevents injuries: a biomechanics expert explains how</a>
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<p>For the men it’s less so clear. So in response to the question of who is the best male tennis player of the modern era, the answer is “it depends”.</p>
<p>If pressed for an answer, it’s hard to go past Rafael Nadal. He has dominated a grand slam (French Open) unlike the other players, while remaining competitive in the other three slams.</p>
<p>A more comprehensive analysis would consider data from all tournaments, not just grand slams, and this would help to reduce uncertainty in the winning probability estimates.</p>
<p>It should also be noted that these are retrospective winning probability estimates, and cannot be used to predict outcomes for future tournaments. Predictive statistical models would focus on more recent tennis data.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154185/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christopher Drovandi is a Professor of Statistics at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), and is a Program Director in the QUT Centre for Data Science. He is an Associate Investigator of the Australian Research Centre of Excellence for Mathematical and Statistical Frontiers (ACEMS). He receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>With the Australian Open about to start this year’s grand slam series, a crunch of the data from past performances gives a hint at who is the current best male player, possibly.Christopher Drovandi, Professor of Statistics, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1546372021-02-04T06:41:22Z2021-02-04T06:41:22ZWhy the COVID case in a hotel quarantine worker in Victoria shouldn’t spook us<p>After Victoria yesterday recorded 28 days without a locally acquired case — widely regarded as indicating we’ve most likely <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-may-well-be-able-to-eliminate-coronavirus-but-well-probably-never-eradicate-it-heres-the-difference-137991">eliminated COVID-19</a> — a positive case in <a href="https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/important-alert-about-new-hotel-quarantine-case-covid-19">a hotel quarantine worker</a> has set the clock back to zero.</p>
<p>Some restrictions that were previously eased <a href="https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covidsafe-summer">have been reimposed</a>, including mandatory masks in indoor public spaces. Household gathering limits have been pulled back from 30 to 15.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, authorities are working to identify anyone who may have come into contact with the 26-year-old man from Noble Park who was working at the Grand Hyatt hotel.</p>
<p>Among them, 520 Australian Open players and support staff have been instructed to <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-players-officials-isolate-as-warm-up-tournaments-suspended-20210204-p56ze4.html">get tested and isolate</a>. Having quarantined at the Grand Hyatt, they’re regarded as casual contacts. </p>
<p>The saga has again raised the divisive issue of whether Melbourne should be hosting the international tennis tournament during the pandemic.</p>
<p>Whatever your view, this now presents us with our first real test. But I would argue — even without going into a lockdown — that Victoria is well placed to prevent this case from becoming a large-scale outbreak.</p>
<h2>A sense of déjà vu</h2>
<p>We’ve now been through this scenario, in which a hotel quarantine worker has become infected with COVID-19, <a href="https://theconversation.com/perth-is-the-latest-city-to-suffer-a-covid-quarantine-breach-why-does-this-keep-happening-154375">several times</a>. </p>
<p>The seeding of Victoria’s second wave aside, before this latest case, we’ve seen similar cases in South Australia, Queensland, and most recently, <a href="https://theconversation.com/perths-5-day-circuit-breaker-lockdown-isnt-an-overreaction-to-a-single-case-its-basic-common-sense-154348">Western Australia</a>.</p>
<p>Notably, all three states imposed hard lockdowns at the first sign of local transmission. So why isn’t Victoria doing the same? </p>
<p>I believe the fact we’re not going into a full lockdown reflects the increased confidence the Victorian government has in its public health response. After the disastrous second wave, and a series of smaller, better-managed outbreaks around the country, Victoria has confidence in its ability to stay ahead of the virus by rapidly identifying and isolating contacts, and contacts of contacts.</p>
<p>So this sense of déjà vu, though disappointing, isn’t all bad from a public health perspective.</p>
<h2>What happened?</h2>
<p>In this situation, as in previous examples, it’s not clear how the quarantine worker became infected. Premier Daniel Andrews has said there was no breach of protocol, calling the quarantine worker “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-04/vic-covid-case-at-hotel-quarantine-grand-hyatt-model-employee/13119826">a model employee</a>”. </p>
<p>This is another reminder — if we needed one — of how infectious the virus is. It highlights that you can never completely eliminate the risk of virus transmission in hotel quarantine; you can only reduce the risk.</p>
<p>The results of genomic sequencing, which we’re expecting tomorrow, will tell us more about what’s happened here. Hopefully they’ll give us a clearer idea of who this worker may have got the virus from.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/perth-is-the-latest-city-to-suffer-a-covid-quarantine-breach-why-does-this-keep-happening-154375">Perth is the latest city to suffer a COVID quarantine breach. Why does this keep happening?</a>
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<p>It’s been reported that this man is infected with <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-victoria-update-three-new-cases-covid19-one-locally-acquired-latest-numbers-dhs/84bef05f-6027-4ae6-b1aa-b5c7a383ae5e">the UK variant</a> of the virus. If this is true, while concerning — the UK variant is more infectious and poses an increased threat — <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2021/jan/25/new-coronavirus-variants-may-spread-more-easily-so-what-does-this-mean-for-the-fight-against-covid">it’s not a game-changer</a> in Victoria. </p>
<p>Regardless of the variant of the virus we’re dealing with, the principal tools we need to control transmission remain the same: testing, tracing and isolating.</p>
<h2>What happens now?</h2>
<p>Two of the man’s close contacts have already tested negative. That’s good news, although it doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t test positive later on. </p>
<p>Authorities revealed the man has a “high viral load”. The science around how viral load correlates with infectiousness <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-a-test-really-detect-if-someone-is-a-covid-19-superspreader-148627">isn’t definitive</a>, but this suggests he’s been shedding a lot of the virus, and so would have been more likely to spread it to others.</p>
<p>The next 48 hours will be crucial, as authorities continue with tracing and we receive test results from contacts. It could be we have some more cases, although of course we’re all crossing our fingers that we don’t.</p>
<p>If we think back to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-31/what-victorias-coronavirus-restrictions-mean-for-new-years-eve/13023666">late December</a> and early January, Victoria’s public health system has shown it can manage a small outbreak. After the virus likely crossed the border from New South Wales, we saw a handful of cases — but this was brought under control rapidly.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/where-did-victoria-go-so-wrong-with-contact-tracing-and-have-they-fixed-it-147993">Where did Victoria go so wrong with contact tracing and have they fixed it?</a>
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<h2>As for the tennis…</h2>
<p>As Andrews pointed out, we’re always going to have people coming into hotel quarantine — Australian Open or otherwise. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when, the virus would resurface in Victoria.</p>
<p>Looking at things solely through a public health lens, I would have said we shouldn’t bring people from all over the world to our almost virus-free shores. But I fully understand there are other considerations in making this decision, and that the public health experts advising the government carefully considered the risks and benefits.</p>
<p>Notwithstanding that we need to take this situation seriously, we need to have confidence in what we’ve learned over the past 12 months. Our experiences stand us in good stead to respond effectively and proportionately to this situation as it unfolds. </p>
<p>Ultimately, it comes down to the basics we know from the earliest days of the pandemic: test, trace and isolate. If we can do these things well — and Victoria has certainly improved in all areas — then we should be able to stay ahead of the virus and shut transmission down.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154637/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hassan Vally does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In contrast to other states after a positive case in a hotel quarantine worker, Victoria isn’t locking down. But the response is sensible and proportionate – we’re well positioned to manage this outbreak.Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1536312021-01-22T04:31:48Z2021-01-22T04:31:48ZSelf-entitled prima donnas or do they have a point? Why Australian Open tennis players find hard lockdown so tough<p>The <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-20/australian-open-quarantine-period-a-massive-logistical-exercise/13071382">challenge</a> of bringing the world’s best tennis players and support staff, about 1,200 people in all, from COVID-ravaged parts of the world to our almost pandemic-free shores was always going to be a big ask. </p>
<p>Soon after this star-studded Australian Open entourage arrived in Melbourne, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jan/20/covid-cases-linked-to-australian-open-rise-to-10-as-victoria-says-taxpayers-wont-foot-quarantine-bill">ten cases</a> of COVID-19 were identified (some later reclassified as being <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open/australian-open-tennis-covid-2021-first-player-records-positive-test-viral-shedding-craig-tiley/news-story/52ea7ee64c4206bbedbafa3138087e3b">old infections</a>). As a result, 72 players classified as close contacts were confined to hotel rooms with no access to what they thought they had been promised — a daily five-hour session on the practice courts within the quarantine bubble. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the superstars of the sport (Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka among them) were apparently enjoying <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open/australian-open-2021-quarantine-anger-adelaide-players-frustrating-melbourne-naomi-osaka-photo-tennis-australia/news-story/4855c3877fcddf14ec3fd20841343ecd">much better conditions in Adelaide</a>.</p>
<p>Social media turned white hot. </p>
<p>Spanish world number 13 Roberto Bautista Agut described conditions as like prison “but with wifi”.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1351622761626497025"}"></div></p>
<p>Meanwhile Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/tennis-player-yulia-putintseva-being-haunted-by-mice-in-hotel-quarantine/news-story/35581dd493352748363c60a5961fc7ff">wished</a> she had she been warned about the potential for hard lockdown and sharing her room with a mouse.</p>
<p>The flames were fanned by Novak Djokovic’s <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open/2021/01/18/novak-djokovic-australian-open-demands/">list of demands for improved conditions</a>, admittedly <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-21/djokovic-clarifies-position-on-australian-open-quarantine/13076880">on behalf of</a> his fellow players and which he later said were just suggestions, which Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews immediately <a href="https://thewest.com.au/sport/tennis/victorian-premier-dan-andrews-bluntly-rejects-novak-djokovics-reported-demands-to-ease-lockdown-ng-b881772401z">rejected</a>. </p>
<h2>Then, the backlash started</h2>
<p>Fellow players waded in, with <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/djokovic-is-a-tool-kyrgios-slams-serbian-superstar-after-list-of-demands-20210118-p56v35.html">Nick Kyrgios</a> labelling Djokovic “a tool” on Twitter and savaging Bernard Tomic’s partner as having “no perspective” for complaining about having to wash her own hair.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1351131106993725443"}"></div></p>
<p><a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/champion-coach-rennae-stubbs-blasts-australian-open-tennis-players-after-quarantine-complaints/news-story/443e679d2c69afac46a83dc72a8573a2">Condemnation of players</a> who complained about being in quarantine, when the population of Melbourne had recently <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-54686812">endured 112 days</a> of lockdown, was swift and universal. </p>
<p>The consensus was that, instead of complaining, the self-entitled prima donnas should be grateful for the opportunity to play in one of the world’s great sporting events, pocketing between <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/australian-open/australian-open-2021-prizemoney-full-breakdown-of-money-on-offer-for-quarantined-stars/news-story/c31782dcc9e22eb4fce00e7364c7c99e">A$100,000 and $2.75m</a> in prize money (for the singles) after their all-expenses paid trip down under.</p>
<h2>When we put people on a pedestal</h2>
<p>This looks like a clear case of pedestal syndrome backfiring, a term <a href="https://groups.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/the_sporting_mind1_2004.pdf">popularised in sport psychology</a> by Jeffrey Bond, who worked with tennis legend Pat Cash when he won Wimbledon in 1987. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380124/original/file-20210122-23-12sojfj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Inside Sport Psychology book cover featuring Roger Federer" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380124/original/file-20210122-23-12sojfj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/380124/original/file-20210122-23-12sojfj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=864&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380124/original/file-20210122-23-12sojfj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=864&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380124/original/file-20210122-23-12sojfj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=864&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380124/original/file-20210122-23-12sojfj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1086&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380124/original/file-20210122-23-12sojfj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1086&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/380124/original/file-20210122-23-12sojfj.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1086&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hotel quarantine can easily upset players’ moods but they could benefit from the isolation to work on the psychological aspects of their game.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/inside-sport-psychology-costas-i-karageorghis/book/9780736033299.html?source=pla&gclid=CjwKCAiA6aSABhApEiwA6Cbm_07XsyMRay1qnaQlv6UYox8yk2QTttcvIlYOH51qej3yqJ5PzeLunxoCQMAQAvD_BwE">Booktopia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s not a clinical diagnosis, but refers to the tendency to exalt those we admire to a position where we (and they) perceive they can do no wrong. </p>
<p>After all, when the world treats you like something special, feted and adored wherever you go, is it any wonder you start to believe the normal restrictions of a pandemic, indeed of life, do not apply to you?</p>
<p>Maybe the Australian Open should not have been held at all this year, as some prominent health experts <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/tennis/coronavirus-open-and-shut-case-to-shelve-australian-open-tennis/news-story/b11240311811067e45747879453052d8">have advised</a>.</p>
<p>However, once the decision to proceed with the tournament next month was confirmed, wasn’t it incumbent upon the organisers to create a level playing field for competitors? </p>
<p>There is little doubt those in hard lockdown may be disadvantaged come tournament time.</p>
<h2>Is lockdown treating all players equally?</h2>
<p>With several of the world’s top players having greater freedom to train in Adelaide compared with those in Melbourne quarantine, some players are also questioning if they’ll be at an advantage when the tournament starts.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/naomi-osaka-photo-triggers-tennis-revolt-amid-claims-of-aus-open-divide/news-story/c828b18f515a45ad16c1981cd9d594a2">better deal for those in Adelaide</a> includes having a larger support team available, use of the hotel gym, and the opportunity to play exhibition matches. </p>
<p>As Austrian doubles specialist Philipp Oswald, in Melbourne quarantine, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/naomi-osaka-photo-triggers-tennis-revolt-amid-claims-of-aus-open-divide/news-story/c828b18f515a45ad16c1981cd9d594a2">described it</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s not apples and apples here, but apples and pears — and I caught the sour lemon. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Players risk losing fitness</h2>
<p><a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/50/5/273.full.pdf">Research</a> by university colleague Professor Tim Gabbett would predict the decline in fitness among those in hard lockdown will be significantly greater than among those allowed to train outdoors for up to five hours a day.</p>
<p>More than that, the rapid increase in training once released from lockdown will significantly increase injury risk and diminish capacity to maintain performance over the course of a five-set match. In short, advantage all those who escaped hard lockdown.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/get-a-grip-the-twist-in-the-wrist-that-can-ruin-tennis-careers-90318">Get a grip: the twist in the wrist that can ruin tennis careers</a>
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<p>Then there is the issue of players’ psychological state leading into the tournament. My own research has highlighted the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.589598/full">significant mood disturbance</a> associated with COVID-19 restrictions, which were less restrictive than the hard lockdown many players are currently enduring. </p>
<p>It is well established that <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2254-9625/11/1/5">mood states affect performance in sport</a>, and the negative moods likely engendered by lockdown will not encourage tournament success. </p>
<h2>There could be benefits</h2>
<p>However, there may be an upside for some players, especially those arriving with niggling injuries or excessively fatigued. The enforced rest may help them heal and freshen up before resuming normal training. </p>
<p>Lockdown also provides them with ample <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/newsradio/concerns-australian-open%E2%80%99s-strict-quarantine-rules/13070582">time to work on the mental side of their game</a>, especially <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Inside-Sport-Psychology-Costas-Karageorghis-ebook/dp/B004F9Q0GA">visualisation</a> and <a href="https://www.tennismentalskills.com/">mindfulness training</a>. This may help them reframe their time in quarantine from a frustrating interruption into a productive period of mental preparation.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-studied-mental-toughness-in-ultra-marathon-runners-mind-over-matter-is-real-but-wont-take-you-all-the-way-149447">We studied mental toughness in ultra-marathon runners. Mind over matter is real — but won't take you all the way</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>What happens when players leave quarantine?</h2>
<p>Some players will undoubtedly emerge from hard lockdown anxious about their physical condition and irked they were the ones who got the short straw. </p>
<p>Romanian player Sorona Cirstea <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-17/australian-open-players-prepare-for-tournament-in-rooms/13065434">said</a> she will need “at least three weeks after [isolation] in order to be in decent form again”. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, she’ll have less than two weeks to regain her fitness and find her form post-lockdown. </p>
<p>No reasonable person would suggest tennis players be allowed to skip quarantine but perhaps spare a thought for those in hard lockdown who feel the playing field is ever so slightly tilted against them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153631/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Terry worked as a sport psychologist with elite tennis players for 11 years and was a longstanding member of the advisory council of the Women's Tennis Association. His book Inside Sport Psychology (co-authored with Costas Karageorghis) features Roger Federer on the front cover.</span></em></p>Nobody likes a whinger. But when you’re used to having an entourage, and being feted around the world, things can get tough when you don’t get your own way.Peter Terry, Professor of Psychology, University of Southern QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1308662020-02-03T05:37:18Z2020-02-03T05:37:18ZThe No. 1 effect: why Ash Barty’s success could lead to a boom in women’s tennis in Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313216/original/file-20200203-41490-1mhpt3n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=401%2C0%2C3461%2C2017&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Scott Barbour/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian tennis fans were obviously disappointed when <a href="https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1593289/kenin-thwarts-barty-to-reach-first-slam-final-at-australian-open">Ash Barty lost in the Australian Open semifinals to Sofia Kenin</a>, the young American who went on to win her first Grand Slam title on Saturday. After the early exits of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, Barty had been the oddsmakers’ favourite for the title. </p>
<p>In the race for Grand Slam titles in tennis, it can be easy to lose perspective on the broader impact of a player’s performance and how that can help grow the sport in individual countries around the world. </p>
<p>Research shows that when professional players rise to the top of the world rankings and dominate for long stretches, it often coincides with the broader development of tennis talent in their home countries. </p>
<p>This means Australian women’s tennis could be ripe for a boom in the coming years as younger players seek to emulate Barty’s success.</p>
<h2>World No. 1s of the past 35 years</h2>
<p>The magnitude of what Barty has achieved in the past year is simply remarkable, especially considering the talent at the top of the women’s game globally seems to get stronger with each year. </p>
<p>Barty was a dominant force during her <a href="https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1526953/2019-wta-player-of-the-year-ashleigh-barty">breakout 2019 season</a>. She won 57 of 70 matches and four titles, including her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open and the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-numbers-game-how-ash-barty-became-the-worlds-best-female-tennis-player-119381">The numbers game: how Ash Barty became the world's best female tennis player</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<p>On top of that, she also reached No. 1 in the world, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/ash-barty-joins-goolagong-cawley-as-diamond-in-the-sky-of-tennis-20190624-p520uh.html">becoming the first Australian woman</a> to achieve the feat since Evonne Goolagong 43 years ago. She will retain the No. 1 ranking after her semifinal showing at Australian Open with a huge point margin over No. 2 Karolina Pliskova.</p>
<p>In the past 35 years, there have been 25 women from 14 countries ranked No. 1. From 1985 to 2005, women’s tennis was dominated by the United States, with seven different American players rising to the top ranking. Belgium produced two No. 1s, while France, Germany, Spain, Russia and Switzerland each had one.</p>
<p>Since 2010, there have been 11 women from 11 countries who have earned the world No. 1 title (owing largely to the ups and downs of Williams’ career).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313234/original/file-20200203-41541-rj1t8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313234/original/file-20200203-41541-rj1t8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313234/original/file-20200203-41541-rj1t8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313234/original/file-20200203-41541-rj1t8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=686&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313234/original/file-20200203-41541-rj1t8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=862&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313234/original/file-20200203-41541-rj1t8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=862&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313234/original/file-20200203-41541-rj1t8v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=862&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Timeline of WTA No. 1 players from 1984 to the present.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One impact of the recent wave of diversity at the top of women’s tennis is that, thanks to players like Barty, Osaka and Simona Halep of Romania, there are more role models than ever for aspiring tennis players around the world to look up to. </p>
<p>And history suggests this is a major driver for developing the game in smaller countries where tennis has not traditionally been a hugely popular sport (for example, Belgium and Serbia) and to inspire future generations of players in countries with deeper traditions (the US, Australia and other European countries).</p>
<h2>How No. 1s have inspired other players globally</h2>
<p>When we look at six nations outside of the US that had one or more No. 1 players between 1990 and 2010 (highlighted in yellow in the chart below), there are several encouraging trends. </p>
<p>First, for all six nations, we can see a surge in women’s players ranked in the top 150 that has either coincided with or followed within a few years of those countries having a top-ranked player. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/who-can-break-up-the-big-3-monopoly-on-mens-tennis-heres-what-the-numbers-say-127991">Who can break up the 'Big 3' monopoly on men's tennis? Here's what the numbers say</a>
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<p>For example, shortly after Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin became No. 1 in the early-to-mid-2000s, other Belgian players like Yanina Wickmayer and Kirsten Flipkens began to rise in the rankings. </p>
<p>Maria Sharapova’s time at No. 1 in the mid-to-late-2000s overlapped with strong seasons by Russian compatriots Elena Dementieva and Vera Zvonareva and, most notably, Dinara Safina, who also reached No. 1 herself in 2009. </p>
<p>Martina Hingis’ stellar career was also followed by other Swiss players, including current world No. 7 Belinda Bencic, who was not only inspired by Hingis, but was coached by her mother.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313221/original/file-20200203-41507-183z95e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/313221/original/file-20200203-41507-183z95e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313221/original/file-20200203-41507-183z95e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313221/original/file-20200203-41507-183z95e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313221/original/file-20200203-41507-183z95e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313221/original/file-20200203-41507-183z95e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/313221/original/file-20200203-41507-183z95e.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Number of top 150 and 30 WTA players for six countries with a No. 1 ranked player (periods with top ranking shown in yellow).</span>
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<p>We can also see that two recent No. 1s, Angelique Kerber of Germany and Garbine Muguruza of Spain, earned their top rankings almost exactly 15 years from the last No. 1s from their home countries. Kerber followed in the footsteps of Steffi Graf, while Muguruza came after Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.</p>
<p>And in the US, many young African-American women’s players, including 15-year-old Coco Gauff, <a href="https://apnews.com/b7b24c3584774ebe98302e3d113be0dc/Venus-and-Serena-Williams-help-inspire-diversity-in-tennis">have cited the success of the Williams sisters</a> as having a direct influence in their decisions to pick up a racket as young girls. </p>
<p>Today, that influence can be measured by the number of African-American women in the top 150: Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Gauff, Taylor Townsend, Whitney Osuigwe and Sachia Vickery.</p>
<h2>The trickle-down impact of a No. 1</h2>
<p>Developing elite talent in sport is a complex process that requires multiple factors – from the talent of players themselves to the support of families, communities, coaches and national sporting bodies – to fall into place. </p>
<p>Although the success of top players is only one part of the equation, it is grounded in a well-known economic concept: the <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-trickle-down-economics-73062">trickle-down theory</a>. When applied to sport, this theory posits that the achievements of the best athletes can <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13504851.2015.1068916">trickle down</a> to the grassroots level and motivate more people to take up the sport.</p>
<p>The historical ranking statistics for tennis show a clear trickle-down effect for No. 1 players, especially in nations that have never had or have gone decades without a top player. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/all-the-racquet-what-science-tells-us-about-the-pros-and-cons-of-grunting-in-tennis-90225">All the racquet: what science tells us about the pros and cons of grunting in tennis</a>
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<p>What the statistics can’t tell us is how much the personal character of a world No. 1 impacts the development and growth of young players in her home country. </p>
<p>If we have learned anything about Barty these past two weeks, her game is only part of what makes her unique. Her likeability and the strength of her character in both triumph and defeat also makes her a <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/bega-times-bartymite-branding-stroke-to-perfection-20191104-p5379s.html">very marketable star</a> and could serve as another motivational factor for younger players.</p>
<p>Few athletes have likely been as well-positioned to be an enduring inspiration for their country and their sport.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130866/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Kovalchik works for Tennis Australia.</span></em></p>Research shows that when professional players rise to No. 1 in the world rankings, it often coincides with the broader development of tennis talent in their home countries.Stephanie Kovalchik, Senior Data Scientist, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1302812020-01-22T19:04:12Z2020-01-22T19:04:12ZCan Tennis Australia honour Margaret Court and promote LGBT+ inclusivity at the same time?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/311298/original/file-20200122-117943-1dwg2d6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Margaret Court has used her platform in the sport to vilify LGBT+ people and many fans believe her name should be stripped from the arena at the Australian Open grounds.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dave Hunt/AAP</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As play heats up at the Australian Open this week, so, too, has the debate around Australia’s most decorated tennis player, Margaret Court, and whether she should be feted on the 50th anniversary of her Grand Slam achievement.</p>
<p>In recent years, Court has actively used her platform to <a href="https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/01/09/homophobe-margaret-court-donated-lgbt-charity-australia-busselton-esplanade-hotel/">vilify LGBT + people</a>, <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tennis/casey-dellacqua-breaks-silence-on-margaret-courts-shocking-2013-article-targeting-her-family/news-story/f9721c2d784595829685408692dad37c">criticise the family of another Australian player, Casey Dellacqua, and her partner</a>, and compare <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/margaret-court-lashes-out-at-transgender-athletes">transgender children to the work of the devil</a>.</p>
<p>Tennis Australia has <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/tennis-australia-invites-margaret-court-to-melbourne-park-but-distances-itself-from-her-views/news-story/a1e119362cbecee6edc7f8eaa4c21585">distanced itself</a> from Court’s comments and reinforced its commitment to include LGBT+ people in tennis at every opportunity. Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/court-s-recognition-for-her-tennis-achievements-only-tiley-20200121-p53tai.html">has also made clear</a> the organisation would celebrate her achievements on the tennis court next week – and on the tennis court alone. </p>
<p>The controversy over Court has dogged the tournament for years. Some tennis fans believe she should rightly be recognised for her stellar career, while others argue Tennis Australia should <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/jun/01/this-is-not-ok-martina-navratilova-repeats-call-to-rename-margaret-court-arena">rename Margaret Court Arena in light of her views</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1218658039005208576"}"></div></p>
<h2>How to honour Court – if at all</h2>
<p>The issue has been particularly contentious this year on the 50th anniversary of her Grand Slam in 1970. Tournament organisers are grappling with how to honour Court’s historic Grand Slam, while simultaneously emphasising that her comments are not welcome in sport and are hurtful and damaging to LGBT+ people. </p>
<p>Even current tennis players appear to share the predicament. When asked about it, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/tennis-champions-wary-on-australian-open-s-margaret-court-recognition-20200118-p53smc.html">Roger Federer said</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>She’s obviously an incredible tennis champion, one of the most successful ever. I know this subject also tears apart a lot of opinions and minds. So I think Tennis Australia, they got to do what they got to do. I honestly really have no opinion on that.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Unfortunately, Tennis Australia does need to have an opinion on it. </p>
<p>In comments to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/01/20/margaret-courts-lgbtq-same-sex-marriage-views-leave-australian-open-honoring-her-grand-slam-not-her/">ABC Perth this week</a>, Court has not sought to put the controversy behind her. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I wish the press would stick to my tennis. I’ve had so many people touch me on the shoulder and say thank you for being my voice. I haven’t had anyone say ‘I hate you’. I teach what the Bible says and you get persecuted for it. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Tennis Australia has faced fresh criticism from its apparent inaction on the issue, particularly around the renaming of the stadium. </p>
<p>A recent article in <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/the-australian-open-arena-that-honors-the-tennis-legend-turned-anti-gay-bigot-margaret-court">The New Yorker</a> asks </p>
<blockquote>
<p>does the name ‘Margaret Court’, even affixed to a tennis arena, no longer mostly call to mind a great athlete but rather a relentless, hurtful bigot?</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Navigating LGBT+ inclusion in sport</h2>
<p>However, Tennis Australia is not the only sporting organisation dealing with negative commentary around the LGBT+ community and homophobic slurs. </p>
<p>Rugby Australia recently had to deal with the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-13/israel-folau-takes-rugby-australia-to-federal-court-over-sacking/11407404">Israel Falou case</a>, and Cricket Australia handed a Melbourne Stars player, Marcus Stoinis, a A$7,500 fine for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/05/marcus-stoinis-fined-7500-for-homophobic-slur-during-big-bash-league">using a homophobic sledge</a> during a Big Bash League match. </p>
<p>The idea that sports should play a role in facilitating social change is becoming more prominent. Recent survey data from <a href="https://theconversation.com/best-on-ground-why-australians-think-sporting-bodies-provide-strongest-leadership-for-public-good-122999">Swinburne University</a> shows the Australian public believes sports organisations do more for the greater good than government, religious organisations or business. </p>
<p>This highlights the need for these organisations to show strong leadership on social issues, including LGBT+ equality.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/best-on-ground-why-australians-think-sporting-bodies-provide-strongest-leadership-for-public-good-122999">Best on ground: why Australians think sporting bodies provide strongest leadership for public good</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Discrimination is bad for business</h2>
<p>There is certainly a moral argument for standing up against discrimination and trying to bring more inclusivity to sport. But there’s increasingly a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0193723513515888">solid business case</a> to do so, as well.</p>
<p>Research from the US has <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2011.563664">found</a> that when sports bodies actively engage with LGBT+ inclusion and have appropriate policies in place, it can boost <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1441352310000744">organisational effectiveness</a>. </p>
<p>Further, our forthcoming research at Western Sydney University highlights the business benefits of growing LGBT+ supporter groups in sport, including new fans, as well as revenue from memberships, matches and merchandise. </p>
<p>Stars like Court are high-profile sport ambassadors and are often used to boost participation efforts at the grassroots level. They impact everything from sport policies to funding models aimed at <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1441352313000533">inspiring a new generation of players</a>. </p>
<p>While Court has no doubt alienated many tennis fans – gay and straight alike – Tennis Australia is now making efforts to win them back through new activities and events. </p>
<p>One example is the staging of an LGBT+ tennis tournament dubbed the “<a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/glam-slam-takes-over-court-3-australian-open-2020">Glam Slam</a>” during the Australian Open, which brings together 200 LGBT+ players from 35 countries. The event will conclude with the men’s and women’s finals being played on Show Court 3 on the final Sunday of the Open.</p>
<p>And in the spirit of openness, the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/glam-slam-event-rolls-out-welcome-mat-for-margaret-court-20200109-p53q86.html">organiser of the event has even invited Court to take part</a>. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1219118895434321920"}"></div></p>
<p>Also new this year, Tennis Australia has <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/gender-neutral-toilets-in-use-for-first-time-at-australian-open-20200120-p53szj.html">installed gender-neutral bathrooms</a> at Rod Laver Arena. </p>
<p>Initiatives like these resulted in Tennis Australia taking home the title for <a href="https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2019/06/13/tennis-winner-pride-in-sport-awards">Australia’s most LGBT+ inclusive sport organisation</a> at last year’s Pride in Sport Awards. </p>
<p>Tennis Australia will likely continue to have to deal with the negative attention brought by Court, particularly if it refuses to rename the arena. However, through efforts like the Glam Slam, it can help attract more LGBT+ people to tennis and this will hopefully lead to a more inclusive and tolerant sport in the decades to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130281/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ryan Storr consults to Tennis Australia. He receives funding from Tennis Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Katherine Raw consults to Tennis Australia. She receives funding from Tennis Australia.</span></em></p>Tennis Australia has faced criticism for its decision to celebrate Court’s career next week. But at the same time, it’s boosting its efforts at inclusivity with events like this year’s Glam Slam.Ryan Storr, Lecturer in Sport Development, Western Sydney UniversityKatherine Raw, Lecturer in Sport Development, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1279912020-01-19T19:00:56Z2020-01-19T19:00:56ZWho can break up the ‘Big 3’ monopoly on men’s tennis? Here’s what the numbers say<p>As the Australian Open gets underway, one question on every tennis fan’s mind is whether 2020 will be yet another year dominated by the “Big 3”, the nickname given to the three most accomplished players of the Open era – Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. </p>
<p>That success can be best captured by their results at the Grand Slams. Since 2003, the year Federer won his first major title at Wimbledon, there have been 68 majors up for grabs and the Big 3 have collectively won 55 of them – or about 80%.</p>
<p>Federer now has 20 major singles titles, making him the all-time Grand Slam leader among the men, though Nadal (19) and Djokovic (16) are not far behind. </p>
<p>What is especially remarkable is that, with a total of 104.8 years between them, the Big 3 are still at the top of the ATP world rankings. And they will be the favourites to win yet another Grand Slam trophy at this month’s Australian Open as the top three seeds.</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>
Player
</th>
<th>
World Ranking
</th>
<th>
Current Age
</th>
<th>
Grand Slam Finals (2003 - Present)
</th>
<th>
Grand Slam Titles (2003 - Present)
</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
Rafael Nadal
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
33.6
</td>
<td>
27
</td>
<td>
19
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Novak Djokovic
</td>
<td>
2
</td>
<td>
32.7
</td>
<td>
25
</td>
<td>
16
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Roger Federer
</td>
<td>
3
</td>
<td>
38.5
</td>
<td>
31
</td>
<td>
20
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>The ‘Next Gen’ players most likely to succeed</h2>
<p>Although many will expect another Grand Slam sweep by the Big 3 this year, the 2019 season ended with strong indications that the reign of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer could be nearing its end. </p>
<p>The main indicators were several big results from a young crop of players. Seven players born after 1990 all had victories over one or more of the Big 3 last year – Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios and Grigor Dimitrov. </p>
<p>Matteo Berrettini can also be added to this group for breaking into the Top 10 and reaching the ATP Finals, despite still having no wins over the Big 3. </p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>
Generation Next Player
</th>
<th>
Birth Year
</th>
<th>
Country
</th>
<th>
Career Wins Over Big 3
</th>
<th>
2019 Wins Over Big 3
</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
Stefanos Tsitsipas
</td>
<td>
1998
</td>
<td>
GRE
</td>
<td>
5
</td>
<td>
4
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Alexander Zverev
</td>
<td>
1997
</td>
<td>
GER
</td>
<td>
8
</td>
<td>
2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Andrey Rublev
</td>
<td>
1997
</td>
<td>
RUS
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Daniil Medvedev
</td>
<td>
1996
</td>
<td>
RUS
</td>
<td>
2
</td>
<td>
2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Matteo Berrettini
</td>
<td>
1996
</td>
<td>
ITA
</td>
<td>
0
</td>
<td>
0
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Nick Kyrgios
</td>
<td>
1995
</td>
<td>
AUS
</td>
<td>
6
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dominic Thiem
</td>
<td>
1993
</td>
<td>
AUT
</td>
<td>
13
</td>
<td>
6
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Grigor Dimitrov
</td>
<td>
1991
</td>
<td>
BUL
</td>
<td>
3
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>One of the notable achievements of these “Next Gen” players (as the ATP Tour calls the younger stars) was a combined 3-2 record against the Big 3 in Grand Slams last year. Djokovic lost to Thiem at the French Open, while Federer fell to Dimitrov at the US Open and to Tsitsipas at the Australian Open. </p>
<p>The two “Next Gen” losses both came in the finals and both at the hands of Nadal: Thiem at the French Open and Medvedev at the US Open.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-so-many-tennis-players-go-pro-even-though-few-make-it-88243">Why so many tennis players go pro even though few 'make it'</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>These rising stars reached their greatest heights in the last quarter of the season. Three “Next Gen” players eliminated the Big 3 before the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters, something that has only happened 11 times out of 72 Masters events played since 2011. </p>
<p>The four who did reach the Shanghai semifinals – Thiem, Tsitsipas, Medvedev and Berrettini – were also the four youngest players to qualify for last year’s ATP Finals, where only the top eight players in the world compete.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309813/original/file-20200114-103979-18vt75m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309813/original/file-20200114-103979-18vt75m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309813/original/file-20200114-103979-18vt75m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309813/original/file-20200114-103979-18vt75m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=427&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309813/original/file-20200114-103979-18vt75m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309813/original/file-20200114-103979-18vt75m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309813/original/file-20200114-103979-18vt75m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=537&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tsitsipas has five career wins over the Big 3, including a victory against Federer at last year’s Australian Open.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dave Hunt/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Rating players over their careers</h2>
<p>A Grand Slam title is the final milestone – and the most difficult – for a “Next Gen” player to achieve. Could 2020 be the year when one of them finally breaks through? And who are the best prospects among them?</p>
<p>One indicator is the journey each of the Big 3 took before their maiden Grand Slam titles. This can show us which up-and-comers are following a similar path. </p>
<p>Player ratings, a statistical measure of a player’s strength at any point in time, are a <a href="http://vuir.vu.edu.au/34652/1/jqas-2015-0059.pdf">great way to trace a career journey</a> because they are updated with every new result and adjusted for the strength of a player’s opponents, which makes cross-generational comparisons possible. </p>
<p>Most of the top 100 male players in the world are currently rated between 2,000 and 2,300 points on the scale. The Big 3 are far ahead of the field, however, with ratings between 2,560 and 2,670. Djokovic has the highest rating going into the Australian Open, after his success at the ATP Cup earlier this month. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-numbers-game-how-ash-barty-became-the-worlds-best-female-tennis-player-119381">The numbers game: how Ash Barty became the world's best female tennis player</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>When we chart the ratings of the Big 3 from age 18 until they won their first Grand Slam, we can see each took a different course to get there (these are indicated by the blue lines in each panel below). </p>
<p>Nadal exploded onto the scene, winning his first French Open title in 2005 before his 19th birthday. Djokovic was next-fastest, getting his first major title at the 2008 Australian Open at just 20 years old. Federer, meanwhile, had the longest journey to his first major title, which he didn’t win until Wimbledon in 2003, when he was two months away from his 22nd birthday. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309817/original/file-20200114-103959-vnqbc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309817/original/file-20200114-103959-vnqbc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309817/original/file-20200114-103959-vnqbc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309817/original/file-20200114-103959-vnqbc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309817/original/file-20200114-103959-vnqbc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309817/original/file-20200114-103959-vnqbc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309817/original/file-20200114-103959-vnqbc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nadal and Federer before their semifinal match at the 2005 French Open.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Olivier Hoslet/EPA</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite these differences, there were some important commonalities in the ratings of the Big 3 heading into their maiden major win. </p>
<p>Six months before this milestone, all had a rating between 2,000 to 2,200 points and all saw an increase in their rating over that time period of 100 points or more. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309902/original/file-20200114-103990-17hpw08.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309902/original/file-20200114-103990-17hpw08.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309902/original/file-20200114-103990-17hpw08.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1432&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309902/original/file-20200114-103990-17hpw08.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1432&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309902/original/file-20200114-103990-17hpw08.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1432&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309902/original/file-20200114-103990-17hpw08.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1800&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309902/original/file-20200114-103990-17hpw08.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309902/original/file-20200114-103990-17hpw08.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1800&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<h2>Which younger players are poised for a breakthrough?</h2>
<p>If we look at the same trajectories for the best prospects of the players born in the 1990s, we find that three of them, Dimitrov, Kyrgios and Thiem, have already surpassed the ages of the Big 3 when they won their first majors. </p>
<p>Tsitsipas and Rublev, by contrast, are the only two among the younger players who still have a chance to stay on track with the progress of one of the Big 3. Tsitsipas’ player rating trajectory is most similar to Djokovic’s path, while Rublev’s chart is tracking closely to Federer’s so far. </p>
<p>Medvedev and Thiem have taken longer in their careers to get closer to the Big 3’s Grand Slam results, but the upward trend of their player rating trajectories indicate a breakthrough could be in the making. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/youll-never-see-another-teenage-tennis-champ-heres-why-21529">You'll never see another teenage tennis champ – here's why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This is especially true for Medvedev, the younger of the two. His player rating plateaued at age 21, much like Federer. Since then, however, he has amassed hundreds of rating points in a short time and has reached one Grand Slam final. </p>
<p>He is now just a few points shy of 2,500, a rating on par with Nadal and Djokovic around the time of their the first Grand Slam wins. On the basis of his ratings curve, Medvedev would seem overdue for a Major win. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309819/original/file-20200114-103971-xi3sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/309819/original/file-20200114-103971-xi3sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309819/original/file-20200114-103971-xi3sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309819/original/file-20200114-103971-xi3sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309819/original/file-20200114-103971-xi3sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309819/original/file-20200114-103971-xi3sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/309819/original/file-20200114-103971-xi3sq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Medvedev is currently ranked a career-high No. 4 in the world.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dan Himbrechts/AAP</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That is even more the case for Thiem, who is the only other player among the eight with a current rating over 2,400. His comparatively longer journey to a Grand Slam title could be the result of playing in the same era as Nadal, the “King of Clay”. Thiem, a clay court specialist, has come up short to Nadal twice in the French Open final (2018, 2019). </p>
<p>Rublev and Berrettini have only recently surpassed a rating of 2,250, and both are remarkable in how quickly they have risen in recent months. </p>
<p>The paths of Zverev and Kyrgios, on the other hand, were tracking parallel to Djokovic’s until age 21. Since then, however, they have each seen a downturn in their results, putting their hopes for a major title in 2020 in serious doubt. </p>
<p>Of course, no two player paths are exactly alike, so we can never exclude any of these “Next Gen” players from future greatness. But if history does repeat itself, there is a reason to expect big things from Tsitsipas, Medvevdev, Rublev and Berrettini this tennis season.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127991/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Kovalchik works for Tennis Australia.</span></em></p>Since 2003, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have combined to win 55 of the 68 Grand Slams that have been played. Is this the year for a new player to break through?Stephanie Kovalchik, Senior Data Scientist, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1195372019-10-25T04:02:29Z2019-10-25T04:02:29ZWhat is rheumatoid arthritis, the condition tennis champion Caroline Wozniacki lives with?<p>Arthritis is a broad term to describe inflammation of the joints which become swollen and painful. There are many <a href="https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/what-is-arthritis/types-of-arthritis/">different kinds</a>. <a href="https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/types-of-arthritis/osteoarthritis/">Osteoarthritis</a>, the most common, is caused by wear and tear. </p>
<p>This is <a href="https://painhealth.csse.uwa.edu.au/pain-module/rheumatoid-arthritis/">followed by</a> rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition where the person’s immune system mistakenly attacks and damages its own joints and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1568997211001923">other organs</a>.</p>
<p>Rheumatoid arthritis is relatively common, affecting around <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673616301738">one in 100 people</a>, including young people and even children.</p>
<p>Twenty-nine-year-old Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-26/caroline-wozniacki-diagnosed-with-rheumatoid-arthritis/10432300">told fans last year she was diagnosed with this condition</a>. Earlier in 2018, she had won the Australian Open, then struggled with unexplained symptoms.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1083496377559076864"}"></div></p>
<p>Researchers do not fully know what causes rheumatoid arthritis, but suspect certain genes may trigger it when combined with environmental and lifestyle <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673616301738">factors</a> such as smoking or infections.</p>
<h2>How does it feel?</h2>
<p>People commonly experience joint pain, but it is particularly bad in the mornings and when they rest. Joints in the hands, feet, wrists, elbows, knees and ankles may be stiff for hours at a time. But unlike osteoarthritis, the pain can actually get better with movement. </p>
<p>If the inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis is not controlled, people experience joint pain, stiffness, fatigue and can almost feel like they have the flu.</p>
<p>The inflammation can lead to damage to the bones and cartilage (cushion) in joints causing deformity and disability. This can affect work, and social and family life.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1568997211001923">18% to 41% of patients</a>, the condition can cause inflammation in other parts of the body, such as the lungs (this may cause a condition called interstitial lung disease) and the blood vessels (leading to a condition called vasculitis).</p>
<p>People with severe rheumatoid arthritis also have an <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hon.2525">increased risk of developing lymphoma</a>, a type of cancer of the lymphatic system, which helps rid the body of toxic waste.</p>
<h2>How is it diagnosed?</h2>
<p>When a GP suspects someone has rheumatoid arthritis, the patient is referred to a rheumatologist for a detailed physical examination focusing on joint pain, tenderness, swelling and stiffness. </p>
<p>The patient will have some routine blood tests to look for signs of inflammation and “autoimmunity” – <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6287017/">antibodies directed against the patient’s own tissues</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-the-immune-system-19240">Explainer: what is the immune system?</a>
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<p>The person may also have an x-ray of the affected joints (if the symptoms have been present for more than three months) to look for signs of cartilage thinning and bone erosion (small bites out of the bone). </p>
<p>Ultrasound and MRI are less useful for <a href="https://advancesinrheumatology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42358-018-0023-y">diagnosis</a>, but can sometimes be used to monitor the condition.</p>
<h2>How is it treated?</h2>
<p>While there is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis, medicines can effectively control the condition and stop visible signs of damage. </p>
<p>With good treatment, it’s now very rare to see deformed joints or people in wheel chairs.</p>
<p>Treatments should start as early as possible and will vary according to how active and severe the condition is. Some people need only a small amount of medicine whereas others will try many different medicines, sometimes in combination. </p>
<p>Because the immune system is overactive and mistaken in its target, the treatment approach is to dampen the immune response. </p>
<p>Initial treatment may include a low dose of steroids called prednisolone, as well as an immune-suppressing drug such as <a href="https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/medication/drug-types/disease-modifying-drugs/methotrexate-side-effects.php">methotrexate</a> or <a href="https://rheumatology.org.au/patients/documents/Leflunomide_2016_Oct2016_000.pdf">leflunomide</a>, to control the inflammation. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-methotrexate-the-anti-inflammatory-drug-that-can-kill-if-taken-daily-60322">Weekly Dose: methotrexate, the anti-inflammatory drug that can kill if taken daily</a>
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<p>If the condition is not controlled by these drugs, then other medicines, mostly injections, called “<a href="https://arthritisaustralia.com.au/things-to-consider-when-taking-a-biologic/">biological</a>” drugs, can be added. These mimic substances naturally produced by the body and block specific substances in the immune system. Very recently, some newer tablets have been approved for rheumatoid arthritis.</p>
<p>Pain management may also be needed with medicines like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.</p>
<p>Inflamed, swollen joints can also periodically be treated by local joint injection of steroids. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298445/original/file-20191024-119419-l1ew2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298445/original/file-20191024-119419-l1ew2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298445/original/file-20191024-119419-l1ew2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298445/original/file-20191024-119419-l1ew2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298445/original/file-20191024-119419-l1ew2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298445/original/file-20191024-119419-l1ew2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/298445/original/file-20191024-119419-l1ew2a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">If the first line treatments aren’t providing relief, others are progressively added.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/197319983?src=1X7LhAyFwWn49Lq9Is9Bkw-1-16&size=huge_jpg">Hriana/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>People with rheumatoid arthritis will also greatly benefit from physiotherapy and occupational therapy. They will learn exercises to maintain joint flexibility, as well as alternative ways to perform daily tasks that may be difficult or painful. </p>
<p>But the fatigue is very difficult to treat. Gentle graduated exercise programs, a good healthy diet, understanding of the condition and its treatment, as well as psychological support, can help with fatigue.</p>
<p>Most people with rheumatoid arthritis can no longer be distinguished from people without the condition and live full and active lives. However, for a small percentage of unlucky patients who have aggressive disease or cannot tolerate any of the medicines, the course can be more difficult. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-sjogrens-syndrome-the-condition-venus-williams-lives-with-111250">Explainer: what is Sjögren’s syndrome, the condition Venus Williams lives with?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/119537/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fabien B. Vincent receives funding from the Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Foundation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Leech has previously received funding from Arthritis Australia and the National Health and Medical Research Council. She conducts educational consultations and presentations for a range of pharmaceutical companies.</span></em></p>About one in 100 people have rheumatoid arthritis, a painful condition of the joints where the body mistakenly attacks itself.Fabien B. Vincent, Research Fellow; Rheumatology Research Group, Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Monash UniversityMichelle Leech, Rheumatologist, Professor/Director Monash Medical Course/ Deputy Dean Health Faculty, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1069382019-01-22T18:35:43Z2019-01-22T18:35:43ZAll that slipping and sliding on tennis courts prevents injuries: a biomechanics expert explains how<blockquote>
<p>Hard courts are very negative for the body. I know the sport is a business and creating these courts is easier than clay or grass, but I am 100% sure it is wrong. I may have to play more on clay than before, but there aren’t that many options.</p>
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<p>So <a href="http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2012/09/rafa-more-hard-courts-100-percent-wrong/39557/">said</a> Rafael Nadal back in 2012 – and several times since – before succumbing to another knee injury in 2018. </p>
<p>Rafa’s right. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/036354657900700409">Evidence</a> has been <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640418708729771">available</a> for decades to suggest that players have fewer knee problems if they play on clay courts rather than hard surfaces over their careers.</p>
<p>Way back in 1979, German researcher von Salis-Soglio <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-72571-5_53">showed</a> that top-ranked tennis players had more leg and back injuries after playing on hard courts than on clay. </p>
<p>But that’s not because hard courts are hard. It’s because they’re not slippery enough. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fitness-play-off-how-tennis-stars-compare-with-other-athletes-11644">Fitness play-off: how tennis stars compare with other athletes</a>
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<h2>The physics of hard, grass and clay courts</h2>
<p>There’s a perception that clay courts are less hard. But anyone who has played on a clay court knows that’s not quite true – they are pretty firm. And it’s easy to do a little experiment to prove it. </p>
<p>A tennis ball bounces higher on a harder court because the court surface compresses less when the ball collides with it. That means less energy is dissipated and the ball bounces <em>up</em> with a lot of energy (largely because of its own elasticity).</p>
<p>That energy dissipation is reflective of the “damping” properties of the surface. If you drop a brand new ball from a height of one metre onto either a clay court or a hard court, it will bounce about 60-65cm high. </p>
<p>On a grass court, the ball may only bounce about 35-40cm. This is because both clay courts and hard courts have a low damping coefficient (a measure of the damping effect when colliding with a ball). Grass courts, on the other hand, typically have a much higher damping coefficient. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, damping may be dramatically reduced on worn areas of grass courts, as is comically demonstrated in this (edited) video. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PLspfAQzTRI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Djokovic (2015) clearly demonstrates how easily a ball can bounce on a ‘hard’ grass court at Wimbledon.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And tennis players spend a lot of time running on this hard, worn part of the court.</p>
<h2>A fraction too much friction</h2>
<p>So if clay courts (and some grass courts) are also hard and don’t have a high damping coefficient, why aren’t they also linked with high injury rates? </p>
<p>A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02640418708729771">study</a> published 31 years ago provides the best answer. Researcher Benno Nigg and a colleague examined injury rates in more than 1,000 tennis players. </p>
<p>They found that painful injuries were five to eight times more likely when playing on high-friction surfaces such as asphalt and some synthetic surfaces than on courts covered with loose sand that allow players to slip and slide.</p>
<p>It was clear that when friction between the shoe and surface was high, so was the injury rate.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tennis-running-netball-do-i-really-need-a-specific-shoe-for-a-specific-sport-106068">Tennis, running, netball: do I really need a specific shoe for a specific sport?</a>
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<p>This is now a well-known phenomenon. If you are running fast and you want to stop quickly, you have to apply a force to the ground. The ground returns that force to you (for the science buffs among you, that is <a href="https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/newtlaws/Lesson-4/Newton-s-Third-Law">Newton’s third law</a>) to slow you down. </p>
<p>But you can choose to apply a high force for only a short time or you can apply a smaller force over a longer time and get the same result: stopping. </p>
<p>We tend to slide when friction is lower and this increases the time over which the force is produced, and the peak force is lower. The lower force is less likely to cause injury, so this is a good thing. In fact, players also notice they’re less sore after matches, so they recover faster too. </p>
<p>Actually, the effect of surface friction is seen in other common sporting tasks. For example, other researchers <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/42/3/194.long">showed</a> that injuries are greater in pivoting sports (such as netball or basketball) when surface friction is higher, even when both surfaces (artificial versus wood) were very hard. In this study, the injury rate was double on the artificial surface, which allowed less sliding.</p>
<h2>How we choose to move</h2>
<p>But there’s another reason for the injury-reduction benefit of lower-friction surfaces. On these courts, we “choose” to move with different, and safer, movement patterns during high-intensity, agility-type tasks such as those in tennis.</p>
<p>A great example is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0363546509348374">provided</a> in a study looking at people experienced in sports that required side-step “cutting” manoeuvres. Cutting manoeuvres are those that require rapid changes in direction. </p>
<p>When tested on different surfaces, sports people were found to land with their knee straighter and more rotated when running on surfaces with higher friction. This is considered to be a serious risk for knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during cutting tasks. </p>
<p>So in a nutshell, there are two things that place us at risk of injury when playing on surfaces with high friction: a lack of energy dissipation, plus a difference in how we move (including rapid changes of direction, as occurs in tennis). </p>
<p>Luckily, a lot of effort has been put into improving hard court surfaces. </p>
<p>At this year’s Australian Open you’ll see players sliding quite well on the Plexicushion surface (made from latex, rubber and plastic particles), which is specially designed to allow players to slide. </p>
<p>It’s safer for the players and also fun to watch.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_BS5QzBR6V0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Nadal sliding on clay and Plexicushion at the Australian Open.</span></figcaption>
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<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-so-many-tennis-players-go-pro-even-though-few-make-it-88243">Why so many tennis players go pro even though few 'make it'</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106938/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Blazevich does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>At this year’s Australian Open you’ll see players moving sideways on the Plexicushion surface – which is specially designed to allow players to slide. It’s safer for the players and fun to watch.Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1069372019-01-13T19:11:54Z2019-01-13T19:11:54ZFast serves don’t make sense – unless you factor in physics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/249599/original/file-20181210-76974-459r3q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">To serve at your best, you have to throw your racket in a way that projects the ball at a high speed – but add some spin. It’s simple physics.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-ny-september-8-2018-1174912726?src=xUFHbJP7SuR22sihKUC3IQ-2-61">from www.shutterstock.com </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The serve is arguably the most important component of the modern tennis game – and the faster, the better.</p>
<p>But when broken down to very simplistic scientific considerations, the speeds we routinely see top players reach when they deliver a serve are theoretically impossible.</p>
<p>So how do they do it? The answer involves Isaac Newton, ping pong and a little bit of “cheating” (from a physics point of view). </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/get-a-grip-the-twist-in-the-wrist-that-can-ruin-tennis-careers-90318">Get a grip: the twist in the wrist that can ruin tennis careers</a>
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<h2>Serving fast seems impossible</h2>
<p>A ball hit fast and straight cannot clear the net and still land in the service square unless the ball is struck from at least 2.6 metres above the ground. According to this equation, there’s simply not enough time for gravity to drag a high-speed ball down inside the service square.</p>
<p>Even if a player and their racket combined could reach up nearly three metres, the margin for error would be just 13 centimetres. And that’s only if you can serve over the lowest part of the net.</p>
<p>So unless you’re well over six feet tall (183 cm), serving super fast is impossible – from a physics point of view. Yet we regularly see even the shortest players serving over 180 km per hour with great accuracy. </p>
<p>So how is it done?</p>
<p>The answer of course is that players impart topspin on the ball. </p>
<p>This phenomenon was observed and at least partly described <a href="http://www.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk/view/texts/normalized/NATP00006">in 1672 by Isaac Newton</a> (after watching court tennis) – but a more well-known description of top-spin is linked to German physicist HG Magnus, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/andp.18531640102">who observed it in ping pong</a>.</p>
<p>If the racket is brushed over the top of the ball during the serve, the ball will spin forwards as it travels. The air surrounding the ball also starts to spin with it.</p>
<p>Physicists call this air the “boundary layer”, and it forms around all moving objects as they travel (you’ll feel this as a rush of wind when a car, truck or train rushes past). As the ball pushes into the oncoming air, the air that travels over the top of the ball collides with the oncoming air. That air is slowed and deflected upwards away from the ball.</p>
<p>The air travelling under the ball meets oncoming air travelling in the same direction and is dragged behind the ball and then also upward. </p>
<p>According to Newton’s third law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So if air is drawn upwards behind the ball, then the ball must move downwards in response.</p>
<p>A great demonstration of this effect can be seen in this video:</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QtP_bh2lMXc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Players often use the topspin tactic to great effect during the second serve. Despite the risk of not clearing the net, a top level player usually serves with a high racket head speed, to allow them to put even more topspin on the ball.</p>
<p>With less of the racket speed being used to give the ball forward velocity and more going across the ball to create spin, the ball will certainly travel slower than in a first serve. </p>
<p>But the greater topspin allows a greater margin for error as the ball easily clears the net but still drops rapidly to land well inside the service square.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/youll-never-see-another-teenage-tennis-champ-heres-why-21529">You'll never see another teenage tennis champ – here's why</a>
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<h2>Beyond brute force</h2>
<p>Of course, muscle power also has a role to play in delivering a serve with heat – but perhaps not as much as you might think.</p>
<p>Our muscles are amazing motors and produce the incredible forces we need to lift heavy objects, walk up mountains and climb trees. </p>
<p>But it has long been known, and <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/126/843/136">demonstrated experimentally 80 years ago</a>, that muscles can’t produce much force when they shorten very quickly. It’s theoretically impossible to serve at high speeds by relying on muscle power alone. To do this, we humans must cheat a little.</p>
<p>You might have noticed that the best tennis players “throw” their racket at the ball when they serve, as you can see in this video:</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mKXtVQnqhB4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Watch Roger Federer serve in slow motion.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This throw-like movement requires the player’s body to move before their arm, the upper arm to move before the lower arm, the lower arm to move before the hand, and the hand to move before the fingers.</p>
<p>The wrist snaps forward. The racket moves quickest when the legs have already extended and the upper arm has stopped moving forward.</p>
<p>When we use this throw-like pattern, much of the energy generated by the legs and shoulder muscles early in the movement is transferred to the forearm, then hand. </p>
<p>This is because the forearm and hand are still moving at the end of the serve and much of the energy that was located in the body moves to them during the serving action. The hand is much smaller than the whole body, or the whole arm. But it has a lot of energy, so it moves incredibly quickly. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-terrible-toll-tennis-can-take-on-top-players-who-play-too-much-90237">The terrible toll tennis can take on top players who play too much</a>
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<p>The time difference between movements of the lower and upper body also allows elastic tissues, like tendons, to store energy. These tissues recoil rapidly later in the serve when the arm snaps forwards, releasing the stored energy at speeds much faster than muscles can contract.</p>
<p>It is this throw-like movement – rather than brute force – that causes the hand and racket to move at speeds much higher than our muscles could possibly allow.</p>
<p>So to serve at your best, you have to throw your racket in a way that projects the ball at a high speed – but add some spin. It’s simple physics.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article has been updated at the request of the author to remove the word “cheating” from the title. In this context, “cheating” referred to a workaround, not breaking the rules of the game.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106937/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Blazevich does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The speeds at which top players deliver tennis serves are theoretically impossible. So how do they do it? The answer involves Isaac Newton, ping pong and a little bit of ‘cheating’.Anthony Blazevich, Professor of Biomechanics, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/905992018-01-26T14:24:09Z2018-01-26T14:24:09ZFocus on ‘fearhand’ and a strong work ethic can propel Kyle Edmund into the tennis elite<p>Tennis player Kyle Edmund’s recent run of form has been impressive – even in the face of his <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/42816385">semi-final loss</a> at the 2018 Australian Open. The match that led to the semi-finals was Edmund’s <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/42784281">first top ten win</a> at the tournament – and a significant step in the 23-year-old’s career. Last year he <a href="https://matchstat.com/tennis/player/Kyle%20Edmund">lost all 14 matches</a> against top ten-rated players, so beating number three seed Grigor Dimitrov was a sweet victory for Edmund and his team. </p>
<p>Edmund was only the second British male player since 1977 (after Andy Murray) to reach the last four of the Australian Open, making him one of six British men to reach a grand slam semi-final in the open era. Even though <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2018/jan/25/marin-cilic-v-kyle-edmund-australian-open-semi-final-live">he lost to world number six Marin Cilic</a>, the open has still been a great success for Edmund. For the first time in his career he has won five consecutive tour level matches which will see him break into <a href="http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/rankings/singles">the global top 30</a>. </p>
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<h2>Fearhand</h2>
<p>Edmund’s rise to the top of the game should come as no surprise, as with most tennis players his journey has been long and hard fought. In his formative years, coaches Richard Plews and John Black laid the foundations of his game. More recently Fredrik Rosengren and Mark Hilton have helped him fine tune his skills to now be able to compete with the best in the sport. </p>
<p>Edmund’s biggest weapon, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2018/jan/24/kyle-edmund-marin-cilic-monster-forehand-tim-henman">his forehand</a>, allowed him to dominate the points in his quarter-final match, even against Dimitrov, one of the best movers in the game. His signature shot is well known and has always been his greatest strength. </p>
<p>His success at the start of the 2018 season however, can not be attributed solely to the so-called “fearhand”, it is improvements in other areas of his game which have made the difference. The numbers have come about, in part, as a result of the technical changes made during the off season. Better use of the legs and an improved loading position, mean that Edmund’s contact point is not only higher but also further inside the baseline, which allows him to be both powerful and precise – and also results in a more aggressive court position on landing. </p>
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<p>There have been other developments in Edmund’s game too. His backhand is now more consistent from the back of the court – and even more notably on return of serve. Complement this with an improved net game and we begin to see a player who is impressive in all areas of the court.</p>
<p>With small margins making a huge difference at the top of the game, Edmund’s <a href="https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/stats/leaderboard?boardType=serve&timeFrame=52Week&surface=all&versusRank=all&formerNo1=false">improving stats</a> make for good reading. So far this year, Edmund has won 89% of his service games – in comparison to 2017 when he won 82%. This puts Edmund’s service <a href="http://www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com/playerProfile?playerId=6364">stats</a> firmly among the company of the top ten men and within touching distance of Roger Federer, who tops the group at 92%. More positive numbers follow, with Edmund winning 57% of points when a second serve is required. </p>
<h2>Sharp mind</h2>
<p>But it’s not just his physical capabilities that are driving Edmund up the rankings. Andy Murray’s coach, Jamie Delgado, <a href="https://twitter.com/DelgadoJamie/status/955695630973841409">has credited</a> Edmund’s mindset and technical improvements during the off season as critical to his recent success. Edmund has benefited over the years from spending time with Murray and his team during off-season training camps. The time spent under Murray’s wing will have undoubtedly had a positive effect on Edmund’s work ethic and attention to detail. </p>
<p>His recent wins have also showcased a <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2018/01/22/kyle-edmunds-swagger-self-belief-will-take-world-top-ten-says/">growing confidence and self belief</a> – areas that coach Rosengren has paid particular attention to during his time with Edmund. Taken together, his physical and mental improvements have seen Edmund win four out of five deciding sets this season – compared with the seven out of 25 won last year.</p>
<p>Regardless of his loss in Australia, these improvements in his game will surely stand him in good stead in 2018 and beyond. Looking to the rest of the season, further tests of his improving game will come in the form of other players who deny Edmund the time to unleash his biggest weapons – as Cilic did in the semi-final. The likes of Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro and Stan Wawrinka may also expose areas of his game which were tested during the semi-final at the Australian Open. But, given his training ethic, it would be no surprise to see Edmund overcoming these further challenges. </p>
<p>The only other question mark arising, as with any top player, is physical longevity. As many of the world’s best have experienced, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-terrible-toll-tennis-can-take-on-top-players-who-play-too-much-90237">the strain placed on the body</a> from the repetitive nature of the sport and demanding scheduling are potentially a player’s biggest rival.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90599/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Kyle Edmund may be out of the Australian Open, but an impressive forehand and sharp focus won’t stop the tennis player.Ellen Jones, Lecturer in Performance Sport (Tennis), Performance Director of Tennis, Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityMichael Castle, Associate Tutor in Sports Performance Analysis and Coaching, Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.