tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/tennis-2125/articlesTennis – 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>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1544267083805995008"}"></div></p>
<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>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] the more successful I became, the whiter I seemed to become. </p>
</blockquote>
<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/2099352023-07-18T16:23:38Z2023-07-18T16:23:38ZCarlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon win explained by a sports psychologist<p>Between 2003 and 2022 there have only been four men’s singles winners of Wimbledon. You need to go back to 2002 when Australian <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQuMtCRKaK0">Lleyton Hewitt</a> won the title to find a name other than the “big four” – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal. But on Sunday 20-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/66218558">broke that pattern</a> when he beat Djokovic in a five-set thriller to win the title.</p>
<p>It was a surprise win. The dominance of the top four players has led to an expectation that, at Grand Slams, one of them would end up on top. Within forensic psychology there is a cliché – “the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour.” Psychological research <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/witness/201301/the-best-predictor-future-behavior-is-past-behavior">backs this phenomenon</a>, whereby we expect the past to repeat itself. </p>
<p>I would argue that this excludes people that are going to do things for the very first time – Alcaraz’s Wimbledon win was his first grass court Grand Slam victory. Carlos Alcaraz was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/09/novak-djokovic-outlasts-cramping-alcaraz-to-race-into-french-open-final">beaten by Djokovic</a> at the French Open in June. He reported that it was <a href="https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Editors_Thoughts/133784/carlos-alcaraz-overwhelmed-by-the-pressure-in-the-first-real-tough-test-of-his-career/">overwhelming</a> to play against his hero. </p>
<p>However, perhaps that loss was perceived differently by Alcaraz compared to players that are of the same generation as Djokovic. Alcaraz seemed to use the loss as a mechanism to enhance his performance in any rematch, rather than allowing it to set a precedent for future matches. </p>
<p>Alcaraz is 16 years younger than Djokovic. Throughout his career, he has observed the dominance of the “big four” and has presumably learned from them. As a sport psychologist, I think Alcaraz has a <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means">growth mindset</a> – this is where someone believes that their attainment is influenced by hard work, good strategy and input from others. It’s the opposite of a fixed mindset, whereby someone views the success of others as a threat and feedback as an attack. Such people tend to be risk averse and believe that talent is fixed. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-secret-of-novak-djokovics-record-breaking-tennis-success-is-his-mental-resilience-expert-explains-207872">The secret of Novak Djokovic’s record-breaking tennis success is his mental resilience – expert explains</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The moment Alcaraz won Wimbledon.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Sticking to the plan</h2>
<p>During his Wimbledon match against Djokovic, the game plan within Alcaraz’s camp remained consistent, even when momentum shifted. For example, in the long second set, which followed a one-sided first set, Alcaraz broke serve (he won the game even though Djokovic was serving). </p>
<p>In the book, <a href="http://www.zoneofexcellence.ca/consultant.html">A Consultant’s Guide to Excellence for Sport and Performance Enhancement</a>, a team of sport psychologists discuss the temptation of high-level performers to adjust their tactics away from what has worked in the past and towards something new. Some athletes believe they will get a small performance gain from doing so.</p>
<p>But this is usually an error, as sporting success is <a href="http://www.zoneofexcellence.ca/consultant.html">borne on well-practiced and understood patterns</a> that, when adjusted, can lose – not enhance – effectiveness. </p>
<p>There were a number of moments during the Wimbledon final where Alcaraz could have adjusted what he was doing as a result of unexpected events. Djokovic’s long bathroom break at the end of the third set, for example, could well have put enhanced pressure on him. The loss of the fourth set, too, could have pushed him to try different tactics.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1RqmVrajks8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Alcaraz in the post-win press conference.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But sticking to the plan and his belief in its effectiveness to bring about the best possible version of himself meant he was in control. Alcaraz has had the same coach since he was 15 and his player box was filled with his longstanding team and family members, epitomising this approach.</p>
<p>Perhaps his trademark aggressive ground strokes also allowed Alcaraz to release any aggression or anxiety in a productive way. Compare this to the more controlled tactical game played by Novak whereby there is no obvious release for pent up frustration and this could partially explain <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/66226270">a racket violation</a> by Novak in the final set. </p>
<p>Tennis fans will now turn with interest to the US Open, where in just a few weeks’ time these two will be favourites to once again meet in a Grand Slam final. We will see then whether Alcaraz’s Wimbledon win marks a changing of the guard or merely a warning shot to the former champion to raise his game.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.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">
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<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight,
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<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209935/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Beale 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>Alcaraz’s distinctive aggressive forehand style allowed him to release any aggression or anxiety in a productive way.James Beale, Senior Lecturer in Sport Psychology, University of East LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2091662023-07-07T10:30:19Z2023-07-07T10:30:19ZTennis and apartheid: how a South African teenager was denied his dream of playing at Wimbledon<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536045/original/file-20230706-30-5qdns0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some 1971 tour players, from left, Hira Dhiraj, Hoosen Bobat, a Dutch friend, Jasmat Dhiraj, Charmaine Williams and Oscar Woodman. Williams toured at her own expense.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Courtesy the 1971 players/UKZN Press</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Today the <a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/atoz/about_aeltc.html">All England Lawn Tennis Club</a>, hosts of the famous <a href="https://www.wimbledon.com">Wimbledon Championships</a>, pledges to be diverse and inclusive. But in 1971 an 18-year-old university student, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/jun/28/how-junior-wimbledon-apartheid-south-africa-blocked-hoosen-bobat-tennis-dream">Hoosen Bobat</a> from Durban, was excluded from achieving his dream of becoming the first black South African to play in the Wimbledon men’s junior tournament. This was due to <a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/history-apartheid-south-africa">apartheid</a>, and the collusion of the all-white tennis union in South Africa and the International Lawn Tennis Federation, with Wimbledon toeing the line. </p>
<p>I tell Bobat’s story in the new book <a href="https://www.ukznpress.co.za/?class=bb_ukzn_books&method=view_books&global%5Bfields%5D%5B_id%5D=598">Tennis, Apartheid and Social Justice</a>. I am a scholar who has published numerous <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=saleem+badat&btnG=">books and papers</a> on the histories of <a href="https://jacana.co.za/product/the-forgotten-people-political-banishment-under-apartheid/">black exclusion</a> and organised <a href="https://www.google.co.za/books/edition/Black_Man_You_are_on_Your_Own/DsLYRwAACAAJ?hl=en">black resistance</a> during apartheid, and on social justice and transformation. </p>
<p>My book documents the historic 1971 first international tour by a squad of black South Africans who played tennis under the auspices of the non-racial Southern African Lawn Tennis Union.</p>
<p>In 1973, the union was a founding affiliate of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-south-african-council-on-sport-at-50-the-fight-for-sports-development-is-still-relevant-today-202402">South African Council on Sport</a>, which popularised the slogan</p>
<blockquote>
<p>No normal sport in an abnormal society. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the context of apartheid, this must be contrasted with tennis played by white South Africans under the racially exclusively white tennis union.</p>
<p>The 1971 touring players were dubbed the “Dhiraj squad” after tennis champion Jasmat Dhiraj, a school teacher. The other five were Hira Dhiraj, Alwyn Solomon, Oscar Woodman, Cavan Bergman and Bobat.</p>
<p>The union’s goals were for its most promising players to compete in tournaments in Europe irrespective of “race” and nationality, to improve their games and be ambassadors for upholding equity and human dignity in sport.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-south-african-council-on-sport-at-50-the-fight-for-sports-development-is-still-relevant-today-202402">The South African Council on Sport at 50: the fight for sports development is still relevant today</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>I wrote the book because I believe important social justice issues arose from the tour. At a minimum, a public apology is due from the international tennis body and Wimbledon to the non-racial sport community, the 1971 tour players and Bobat.</p>
<p>I also thought it was important to tell the story while most of those who lived through it were were still with us. And the book was also an opportunity to focus on “ordinary” people, on unsung heroes, on their tribulations and triumphs. A focus on everyday histories rather than on dramatic events and on elites.</p>
<h2>The issues</h2>
<p>In the book I cover three issues. </p>
<p>Firstly, I place the tour within the political, social and sporting conditions under apartheid. In 1971 South Africa was a racist, segregated and repressive society, based on white supremacy and privilege and black subjugation. Black people were denied proper sports facilities, coaching and opportunities to excel, could not belong to the same clubs as whites or compete in competitions with or against white players. Considered subjects, not citizens, they couldn’t represent South Africa in sport. Sport under apartheid was a killing field of ambitions and dreams.</p>
<p>Secondly, it records the players. The tournaments they participated in, their performances and challenges, the tour’s impact on them, the lessons learnt and their lives and tennis accomplishments after 1971.</p>
<p>Thirdly, the book demonstrates the collusion between the International Lawn Tennis Federation and the white South African tennis body. That collusion, and the action of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, prevented Bobat from becoming the first black South African to play in the junior Wimbledon championships.</p>
<h2>The arguments</h2>
<p>I make five main arguments. </p>
<p>One is that, since democracy in 1994, there has been no fitting recognition, symbolic or material, of outstanding apartheid-era non-racial tennis players. Nor has there been appropriate restitution and reparation of any kind.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536123/original/file-20230706-24-7rnte4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536123/original/file-20230706-24-7rnte4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536123/original/file-20230706-24-7rnte4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536123/original/file-20230706-24-7rnte4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536123/original/file-20230706-24-7rnte4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536123/original/file-20230706-24-7rnte4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1166&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536123/original/file-20230706-24-7rnte4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1166&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536123/original/file-20230706-24-7rnte4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1166&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">UKZN Press</span></span>
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<p>A second argument is that apartheid’s legacy continues to profoundly affect and shape tennis today. A walk around the affluent white town of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape province and a black township like KwaMashu near Durban reveals the stark differences in terms of tennis courts, coaching and the like.</p>
<p>Third, probably less tennis is played today in black schools and communities than before democracy. Certainly, there is less self-organisation of the kind that harnessed limited economic and social capital in black communities to ensure non-racial tennis.</p>
<p>Fourth, as in other areas of South African society, there has been much talk about “transformation” but <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10130950.2010.9676325">little substantive transformation</a> in tennis. </p>
<p>Fifth, there should have been a <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/">Truth and Reconciliation Commission</a> for sport that laid bare apartheid sports crimes, the perpetrators and collaborators, and forged agreement on reparations and transformation.</p>
<p>The collaborators included big business and the media. With the support of the South African sugar industry, the tennis Sugar Circuit <a href="https://www.filepicker.io/api/file/80SLoFsUS9iyZ9PbDBv6">became</a> the “breeding ground for world ranked (white South African) players”. The sugar industry was <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/news/kzns-sugarcane-plantations-fed-off-the-blood-sweat-and-tears-of-indentured-labourers-38db5e28-e88b-4bbd-87a0-5580cd8bfadd">built on</a> the blood and sweat of Indian indentured labour and black labour more generally.</p>
<p>Yet, sugar big business did little to support black players. The commercial media linked to big business were also complicit, devoting print copy and airtime principally to white sports.</p>
<h2>Class, racism and patriarchy</h2>
<p>Opportunities in tennis were profoundly shaped by class, racism, patriarchy and other factors. </p>
<p>The players in the 1971 tour were classified “Coloured” or “Indian”. There were no “Black” South African players chosen because of a debatable notion of “merit” used by the Southern African Lawn Tennis Union.</p>
<p>And the tour was an exclusively male affair even though there were outstanding women tennis players and well-established women’s tournaments. Charmaine Williams joined the tour at her own expense.</p>
<p>In my study I identify how non-racial tennis officials in South Africa exemplified dominant patriarchal attitudes and didn’t take gender inclusion seriously. This would remain an issue in the South African Council on Sport of the 1970s and 1980s.</p>
<p>Jasmat Dhiraj <a href="https://www.ukznpress.co.za/?class=bb_ukzn_books&method=view_books&global%5Bfields%5D%5B_id%5D=598">told me</a> that he had to “overcome inhibitions and complexes” on tour. Bobat states that they </p>
<blockquote>
<p>had to overcome the so-called inferiority complex of playing against white tennis players.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Truth and justice</h2>
<p>Former South African president and liberation leader <a href="https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography">Nelson Mandela</a> <a href="https://books.google.co.za/books/about/No_One_to_Blame.html?id=nAgAzUwnyN4C&redir_esc=y">commented</a> in 1995:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We can now deal with our past, establish the truth which has so long been denied us, and lay the basis for genuine reconciliation. Only the truth can put the past to rest.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But, in my view, instead of dealing with our past South Africans are letting it fester, failing to see that genuine reconciliation cannot be achieved by ignoring the injustices and pain of the past.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209166/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Saleem Badat receives funding from the National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. </span></em></p>A new book delves into the issues faced by a 1971 international tennis tour, and calls for injustice to be recognised.Saleem Badat, Research Professor, UFS History Department, University of the Free StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2078722023-06-16T13:27:24Z2023-06-16T13:27:24ZThe secret of Novak Djokovic’s record-breaking tennis success is his mental resilience – expert explains<p>It comes as no surprise to anyone who follows tennis that Novak Djokovic won his 23rd Grand Slam at the French Open this month, making him the most successful men’s tennis player in history. The Serbian player is consistently hard to beat, even when he is playing poorly. But what is it that sets him apart?</p>
<p>There are a few answers. Djokovic has superb technical skills and has been called <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/7-best-returners-all-time-men-s-tennis-ft-novak-djokovic-andre-agassi">the best “returner”</a> in the sport’s history. He has <a href="https://talksport.com/sport/tennis/933042/novak-djokovic-us-open-final-diet-transformed-federer-nadal/">worked on his diet and fitness</a> to ensure he is consistently in optimal health. And his tactical understanding and execution of tennis are second to none. </p>
<p>What remains? The controller of all these three elements: the mental side. In the past 20 years, Djokovic is perhaps the tennis player who has most openly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aRKHy_0w28">spoken about and advocated for</a> mental training – and resilience has been a key focus.</p>
<p>Djokovic has dedicated a significant amount of time and planning to his mental training and has worked with experts to incorporate mindfulness. Talking of this in his 2013 cookbook, <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Serve_To_Win/cX8pAAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover">Serve to Win</a>, Djokovic said: “I do it for about 15 minutes and it is as important to me as my physical training.”</p>
<p>Mindfulness is a mental skill that allows people to experience their conscious thoughts and emotions with the goal of changing their focus of awareness. For example, if the player misses a serve, the brain will probably catastrophise: <em>You missed a serve. You will double fault, and then they will break your serve</em>. In tennis, where every point is a win or a loss, this triggers self-doubt.</p>
<p>Mindfulness allows players to be conscious of this and avoid a negative response. Djokovic goes on to say: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’ve done so much mindfulness that my brain functions better now automatically … I used to freeze up whenever I made a mistake. Now when I blow a serve or shank a backhand, I still get those flashes of self-doubt, but I know how to handle them.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Why resilience is so important</h2>
<p>Even Djokovic makes mistakes. Resilience is not about error-free performance. That is impossible in elite sports. Resilience is the ability to adapt after adversity. In elite sports, this adversity may be small (such as losing a set in a match) or big (such as a major injury). </p>
<p>Resilience is something <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjpwPma2sT_AhUEgFwKHcDrBUkQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%2Farticles%2F10.3389%2Ffpsyg.2022.1003053%2Ffull&usg=AOvVaw2hCO-RJq3pELKWx1WqWqPc">athletes develop over time</a>, putting effort in to building mental and social skills that act as a shield against the negative effects of adversity and failure.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Highlights of Djokovic winning the 2023 French Open, his 23rd Grand Slam title.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Athletes engage in this process through a learning cycle based on their experiences. The psychological skills of emotional control are important for developing resilience. This includes focusing on the process, not the outcome and challenge appraisal, which enables the athlete to look at areas of action they can take to improve their performance, rather than dwelling on threats of failure.</p>
<p>When faced with adversity, the athlete does the best they can. Whatever the outcome, they then reflect on how these psychological skills played out and resilient athletes start repeating what worked for them more. </p>
<p>Djokovic developed his resilience by regularly competing against three great champions of tennis: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. He reflected (for both his successes and failures) on what worked mentally, physically and tactically and then developed himself further. He still uses mindfulness. In his book, Djokovic states how he accepts his thoughts “as they come … they do bounce around like crazy, but they’re supposed to, your job is to let them come and go”.</p>
<p>The main element of Djokovic’s resilience learning process has been his openness to adapt. He has <a href="https://www.tennismajors.com/others-news/the-desire-is-still-there-but-things-can-change-quickly-i-am-36-guys-djokovic-doesnt-avoid-the-age-factor-anymore-683321.html">spoken publicly</a> about how he now understands and treats his physical preparation differently. On a mental level, he has accepted that he cannot play every tournament and <a href="https://www.planetsport.com/tennis/news/novak-djokovic-warns-still-motivated-notch-grand-slams">his motivation has changed slightly</a>.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Djokovic discusses his mindfulness techniques.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Djokovic’s motivation has adapted to target grand slams and prepare for them. This is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10413200590907568?casa_token=GOjoeODZJRYAAAAA%3AViTDnTtuc7mHPalqA29vwsWpXdSTkNv7JyO03mtgqwwHOSTIulzr04Gvnpm2CJFq3iwdZNn6AlY">achievement motivation</a>. In sport psychology, this refers to how people are motivated to work towards their highest performance level because they thrive off the satisfaction of the difficulty in the process. They are not afraid of failure but rather are accepting of it in the course of achieving goals.</p>
<p>This has added to Djokovic’s resilience because it has allowed him to accept everything that has come his way, be it the injuries, the ban from tournaments for being unvaccinated, the toughest of competitions, or even emotional outbursts.</p>
<p>So, what does Djokovic himself attribute his remarkable success to? Speaking to ESPN, the player explained: “I stopped thinking too much about what could happen and relied on my physical and mental strength to play the right shots at the right time.” And play the right shots at the right time, he has done. What an incredible achievement in the history of tennis.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207872/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sahen Gupta 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>Athletes develop resilience over time, building mental and social skills that act as a shield against the negative effects of adversity and failure.Sahen Gupta, Lecturer in Applied Sport & Exercise Psychology, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2056962023-05-22T15:00:35Z2023-05-22T15:00:35ZWhy Wimbledon’s reversal of their ban on Russian players is good for players, fans and the tennis sports industry<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526218/original/file-20230515-13823-schpzf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4053%2C2127&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Wimbledon flags waving in the wind.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-uk-april-2022-three-flags-2162243983">rarrarorro/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Can Wimbledon 2023 regain its status as the number one grand slam on the tennis tour? It certainly has the potential to achieve this status with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’s (AELTC) <a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2023-03-31/statement_regarding_player_entries_for_the_championships_2023.html">reversing its ban</a> on Russian and Belarusian tennis players. </p>
<p>This action allows these players to now compete as “neutrals” at Wimbledon and ends a year-long stance against their participation. It is a smart strategic and financial move that will be good for tennis in the UK - the players, fans and the tennis sports industry.</p>
<p>The ban on Russian/Belarusian players was first announced <a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2022-04-20/statement_regarding_russian_and_belarusian_individuals_at_the_championships_2022.html">April 20 2022</a> by Ian Hewitt, chairman of the All England Club responsible for managing the Wimbledon Championships. This decision was supported by the UK Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) which put in place similar bans for tournaments that lead up to Wimbledon. This was done so that there was a “<a href="https://www.lta.org.uk/news/statement-on-russian-and-belarusian-players-at-our-tournaments/#:%7E:text=The%20LTA%20is%20today%20united%20with%20the%20All,all%20Russian%20and%20Belarusian%20players%20at%20its%20events.">consistent approach</a>” across UK tennis.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527380/original/file-20230521-127128-zcvt5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527380/original/file-20230521-127128-zcvt5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527380/original/file-20230521-127128-zcvt5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527380/original/file-20230521-127128-zcvt5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527380/original/file-20230521-127128-zcvt5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527380/original/file-20230521-127128-zcvt5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527380/original/file-20230521-127128-zcvt5x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&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">Wimbledon, July 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jonathan Skinner</span></span>
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<p>The international Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) immediately criticised the ban as <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/atp-statement-wimbledon-british-grass-swing-april-2022">unfair discrimination</a> against players and stripped Wimbledon of its ability to rank players in the grand slam, effectively reducing it to an exhibition event that some <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/1769962/Wimbledon-ATP-WTA-ranking-points-Russia-ban-tennis-news">players stayed away from</a>. It subsequently introduced <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/63889447">UK$200,000 (£164,018) fines</a> for each LTA event ATP players were banned from, and was joined by similar sanctions from the Women’s Tennis Association. The threat of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/dec/07/lta-fined-1m-by-atp-for-banning-russian-players-from-tennis-tournaments">LTA expulsion from the international tennis tour</a> also hung over this cloud of multi-million dollar fines should the ban continue into 2023.</p>
<h2>Not detrimental</h2>
<p>Wimbledon’s ban was initially implemented because of <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/tennis/fears-of-putin-propaganda-coup-at-wimbledon-over-kate-awarding-trophy/ar-AA199zh6?li=BBoPRmx">fears of a propaganda coup for Putin</a> should a Russian or Belarusian player such as Daniil Medvedev win and be photographed being awarded a trophy by British royalty or beating British former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in the process. In one unilateral action, Wimbledon became a highly politicised sporting event, treating players according to their ethno-national background rather than their playing abilities.</p>
<p>Although a Russian/Belarusian victory might still come to pass in July, the anticipated awkward clashes and interactions on and off court between Russian/Belarusian and Ukrainian or Ukrainian-supporting players have been contained without being detrimental to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/may/20/wimbledon-stripped-of-ranking-points-over-banning-of-russian-players-tennis">tennis ecosystem</a>.</p>
<p>In April, Russian player Anastasia Potapova was formally warned for wearing a <a href="https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/russian-tennis-player-speaks-sparking-085146057.html">Spartak Moscow</a> football shirt on court during the BNP Paribas Open (Indian Wells) in California. She has not worn it since.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1635745791720689666"}"></div></p>
<p>Animosity was visible between Potapova and Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk in the next tournament she faced - the Miami Open. There, Kostyuk <a href="https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2023/03/24/tennis-ukraine-russia-animosity/5711679581436/#:%7E:text=MIAMI%20GARDENS%2C%20Fla.%2C%20March%2024%20%28UPI%29%20--%20Animosity,from%20the%20war-torn%20countries%2C%20Russia%2C%20Belarus%20and%20Ukraine.">refused to shake hands</a> with a player from the country her homeland is at war with. The WTA responded by reaffirming its support for Ukraine.</p>
<p>And in January at this year’s first slam in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic was embarrassed by his father’s behaviour and had to ban him from attending his matches after Srdjan Djokovic was seen posing for photos with fans, standing beside one waving a Russian flag with Putin’s face in the middle and with the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/07/why-has-the-letter-z-become-the-symbol-of-war-for-russia">pro-invasion “Z” symbol</a> emblazoned on the fan’s T-shirt.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Novak Djokovic in a red shirt." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526219/original/file-20230515-17082-kb5wcq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526219/original/file-20230515-17082-kb5wcq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526219/original/file-20230515-17082-kb5wcq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526219/original/file-20230515-17082-kb5wcq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526219/original/file-20230515-17082-kb5wcq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526219/original/file-20230515-17082-kb5wcq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526219/original/file-20230515-17082-kb5wcq.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’s father sparked controversy after posing with a fan wearing a pro-Russian invasion symbol.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tokyo-japan-july-28-novak-djokovic-2019055337">Asatur Yesayants/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>There was no political fallout from this personal ban imposed, and Djokovic went on to win the Australian Open.</p>
<h2>Courting the tennis ecosystem</h2>
<p>There is pressure on tournaments at every level to modernise and grow. The AELTC itself has controversial <a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/aboutwimbledon/estate_master_plan.html">expansion plans</a> and neither the AELTC nor the UK governing tennis body can risk further fines, loss of sponsorship, or loss of status by keeping the player ban in place.</p>
<p>Predictably, the AELTC has been cautious in its route back in line with the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the WTA and the ATP. Wimbledon seeks to avoid the “<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/64422557">disruptions</a> of the ban as well as the tensions between players arising from the Russian-Ukrainian war.</p>
<p>This all compounded to result in the LTA making a loss in the last financial year. Reversing the player ban brings players and rankings back to Wimbledon. It also conveniently <a href="https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Tennis_Stories/131261/british-tennis-officials-ask-atp-to-reduce-their-heavy-fine-/">halved last year’s WTA fine</a> and has given the LTA the initiative to negotiate with the ATP with respect to their 2022 season fine. </p>
<p>While the money from the fines was allocated to Ukrainian relief funds, this is money that the LTA needs to recoup for UK tennis to survive.</p>
<p>Lifting the ban at Wimbledon will add to the players’ challenge by bringing additional top-draw quality to the Wimbledon Championships. It will also add a containable edge to the matches. The fans will be looking to see how a recent <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-12031019/Ukrainian-tennis-player-Tsurenko-REFUSES-shake-hands-Russian-Kasatkina-loss-Madrid.html">friendly wave</a> seen at the Madrid Open between Russian Daria Kasatkina and Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko grows into a more visible peace.</p>
<p>Last year Andy Murray was awarded the <a href="https://www.lta.org.uk/news/andy-murray-receives-2022-arthur-ashe-humanitarian-award-from-atp/">Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award</a> after donating nearly his entire season’s winnings <a href="https://www.unicef.org.uk/celebrity-supporters/andy-murray/">(£510,000) to Unicef’s programme assisting children</a> affected by the invasion of Ukraine.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Andy Murray playing on the blue court of the 2023 Miami Open." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527010/original/file-20230518-27-eueoq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527010/original/file-20230518-27-eueoq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527010/original/file-20230518-27-eueoq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527010/original/file-20230518-27-eueoq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527010/original/file-20230518-27-eueoq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527010/original/file-20230518-27-eueoq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527010/original/file-20230518-27-eueoq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=481&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">Andy Murray playing at the 2023 Miami Open.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Jonathan Skinner</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>This year, Murray must work hard in the tournaments leading up to Wimbledon to retain his seeded status and avoid playing against the likes of Medvedev early in his campaign. Whether it is in the early rounds or later in the finals, a Murray/Medvedev match will favour the Russian for a win, but the clash is containable and will be to the advantage of the championship, the fans and UK tennis.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205696/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jonathan Peter Skinner received funding for a research mobility from the EventRights network (<a href="http://eventrights.net/">http://eventrights.net/</a>), under the Marie Curie Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange Scheme.</span></em></p>Russian players will now compete as neutrals at Wimbledon, ending a yearlong stance against their participation.Jonathan Peter Skinner, Reader in Anthropology of Events, University of SurreyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1994532023-03-24T12:05:52Z2023-03-24T12:05:52ZWhy elite athletes should develop mindfulness to up their game<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516968/original/file-20230322-20-tg2qpw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C10%2C3532%2C2344&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.alamy.com/KYWJ44">Action Plus Sports Images / Alamy</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Athletes at the very highest level of their sport face the challenge of performing consistently under pressure amid many potential distractions, including performance anxiety, crowd behaviour, their own and others’ expectations, and the responses of their opponents.</p>
<p>The performance of players in the <a href="https://ausopen.com/">2023 Australian Open</a>, for example, demonstrated the psychological factors needed to succeed at elite-level tennis.</p>
<p>It had plenty of exciting moments that are the hallmarks of a great tournament. Andy Murray made an <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/andy-murray-australian-open-comeback_uk_63c99293e4b0c8e3fc75b31e">astonishing comeback</a> from two sets down against Thanasi Kokkinakis, following his long recovery after major injury. </p>
<p>Rafael Nadal exited in the second round of his first major slam after the birth of his child, due to ongoing injury – reports described him as being <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/64314854">mentally destroyed</a>. And Novak Djokovic became the only male player to win three consecutive Australian Open championships. The Serbian recently shared that he has “learned the strength and resilience to bounce back from adversity”. </p>
<p>One of the key characteristics of resilient athletes is their ability to focus on the moment. As a researcher in high performance and resilience – <a href="http://broadviewpsychology.com/2020/04/21/resilience-the-ways-to-enhance-this-critical-skill-in-sports/#:%7E:text=Resilience%20is%20defined%20as%20the,potential%20negative%20effect%20of%20stressors%E2%80%9D.">defined</a> as the “role of mental processes and behaviour in promoting personal assets and protecting an individual from the potential negative effect of stressors” – my work looks at understanding this important quality and examining ways to improve it in athletes.</p>
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<h2>Performing under pressure</h2>
<p>This focus and resilience was embodied by the 2023 Australian Open women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka, who won her first grand slam despite losing the first set of the match. More recently, however, she appeared to buckle under pressure at the Indian Wells Open championship, against the composed and focused Elena Rybakina. Sabalenka seemed to dwell on her double-fault errors, which led to her attempting more risky and inaccurate ball strikes. </p>
<p>Two of the men’s game’s greatest players in recent times, Nadal and Djokovic, have been described as having the ability to “<a href="https://tennishead.net/nadal-and-djokovic-play-every-point-like-its-a-match-point-says-atp-star/">play every point like it’s a match point</a>”. This ability to perform consistently at the highest level can be underpinned by a psychological state, ability and skill called <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5605575/">mindfulness</a>.</p>
<p>Mindfulness is understood by researchers and sport psychologists as “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally”. The notion is rooted in meditative practices in <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/buddhism/">Buddhism</a>, and has drawn the attention of sport psychologists in western society over the last decade. </p>
<p>Recent <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jcsp/3/4/article-p334.xml">research</a> has shown that mindfulness training – both sitting and active meditation practices – can allow athletes to be present in the moment, and to access optimal states of mind such as confidence and self-belief.</p>
<p>It can also help regulate the emotions by monitoring and channelling them in a way that enhances performance. And it can help athletes reach a state of “flow”, which I describe in my <a href="https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2021.163.04">research</a>“ – meaning being completely in the moment and performing with clarity, fluency and ease.</p>
<h2>Focus and intense emotions</h2>
<p>These psychological factors are crucial in sports like tennis which require players to focus on performing at their best during each point, while "letting go” of previous mistakes. This ability to accept intense positive and negative emotions, and to avoid worrying about past mistakes or future performance, can allow athletes to experience mental clarity and focus on their performance in the current moment. </p>
<p><a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jcsp/3/4/article-p334.xml">Research</a> has found that mindfulness training is a promising intervention that can improve confidence, self-belief and flow. </p>
<p>I work as part of team that seeks to evaluate the effect of both “traditional” mindfulness, such as sitting meditations, and “active” or “applied” practices, such as engaging in mindfulness while playing sport. We have been researching this in swimmers, with promising findings in pre-elite athletes, and we plan to do the same with elite athletes who compete in other sports including tennis and cricket. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0031512520984422">research</a> has found that mindfulness can improve an athlete’s “action awareness” – their self-awareness of physical movements or actions, and their ability to be in the moment and possess clear goals. These factors are likely to lead to thinking clearly, performing consistently, and being technically and tactically aware in each tennis point, for example. </p>
<p>With the development of ever more sophisticated technology, sport psychology is entering a particularly exciting period that will see further opportunities to help athletes develop their resilience and improve performance under pressure.</p>
<p>For example, the growing accessibility and sophistication of virtual reality (VR) adds another useful tool. Tennis players and other athletes can be immersed in virtual performance environments where auditory and visual distractions and pressures can be introduced to test their resilience.</p>
<p>The use of VR simulations are particularly useful to monitor and assist athletes to practise mindfulness under “controlled” conditions, while sport psychologists monitor their responses and improvements. </p>
<p>Recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102244">research</a> from Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Limerick has shown that VR methods can simulate or replicate real-world performance anxiety and pressure in a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/TVCG.2014.23">controlled way</a>, allowing progressive and managed exposure to stress.</p>
<p>This can help the athletes get used to states of anxiety that are typical in high-performance sport – and to practise sport psychology techniques like mindfulness to manage them, in a way that ups their game.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199453/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer Meggs 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>Research is showing that players can use mindfulness techniques to improve the mental resilience required to perform at the highest level.Jennifer Meggs, Associate Professor in Psychology, Heriot-Watt UniversityLicensed 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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Read more:
<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>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1481922123740422148"}"></div></p>
<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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<em>
<strong>
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/1930522022-11-07T13:34:54Z2022-11-07T13:34:54ZPickleball’s uphill climb to mainstream success<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492796/original/file-20221101-25191-t2wwl3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C11%2C3892%2C2595&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For every headline about pickleball’s miraculous growth, you can also find stories about conflicts and infighting.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/jorja-johnson-of-the-hard-eights-holds-her-franklin-paddle-news-photo/1434128821?phrase=pickleball&adppopup=true">Emilee Chinn/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Most newer sports are hybrids of older ones, and pickleball is no exception. The progeny of tennis, badminton and pingpong, pickleball is played by singles or doubles teams who hit a ball back and forth over a 3-foot-high net until one opponent commits a fault.</p>
<p>In 1965, the <a href="https://usapickleball.org/what-is-pickleball/history-of-the-game/">inventors of pickleball</a> played with what they had – a repurposed badminton setup, pingpong paddles and a perforated plastic ball. </p>
<p>Today’s <a href="https://usapickleball.org/about-us/organizational-docs/pickleball-fact-sheet/">4.8 million</a> American pickleballers have much more to play with: In the U.S. there are <a href="https://usapickleball.org/about-us/organizational-docs/pickleball-fact-sheet/">38,140</a> courts, <a href="https://www.si.com/sports-illustrated/2022/05/24/pickleball-fastest-growing-sport-daily-cover">300</a> manufacturers of pickleball equipment and
<a href="https://usapickleball.org/get-involved/pickleball-clubs/">hundreds</a> of grassroots clubs.</p>
<p>There’s been a good amount of speculation about the explosion of pickleball’s popularity. But now the sport seems poised to burst into the mainstream, with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/sports/major-league-pickleball.html">Lebron James</a> and other luminaries of the NBA and NFL recently announcing large investments in the professional circuit.</p>
<p>Still, the young sport is not immune to growing pains. As I argue in my book “<a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-76457-9">Emerging Sports as Social Movements</a>,” the popularity of some fledgling sports may seem self-evident in splashy headlines. But their less visible social undercurrents ultimately shape whether they’ll continue to attract new players and fans. </p>
<h2>Pickleball’s feudal period</h2>
<p>For an organized sport to grow, it needs structure – a common set of rules, rankings, equipment standards, scheduled events and a sense of identity that can unite players and fans.</p>
<p>At present, pickleball’s social fabric is spread thin and woven together by a network of competing interests. For every headline about pickleball’s miraculous growth you can also find stories about conflicts and infighting among various leagues and governing bodies, as well as between pickleballers and tennis players.</p>
<p>The sport has three professional leagues battling for control of the pickleball kingdom. It has two international governing bodies: the International Federation of Pickleball and the World Pickleball Federation. The lesser lords of pickleball also <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/07/25/can-pickleball-save-america">feud with tennis players</a> over dual-use courts and plans for expansion in public parks, with reports of “<a href="https://jezebel.com/pickleball-turf-wars-are-the-niche-drama-ravaging-the-c-1849678697">turf wars</a>” and “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/20/pickleball-growth-tennis/">a tug-of-war</a>” between the two racket sports.</p>
<p>“<a href="https://www.si.com/sports-illustrated/2022/05/24/pickleball-fastest-growing-sport-daily-cover">Picklebalkanization</a>,” anyone?</p>
<p>Internal squabbles are common in emerging sports movements. Cornhole, disc golf and esports, for instance, have faced <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-76457-9">similar challenges</a>. In some cases, conflict can be a good thing. It may spur innovation. But it can also leave some would-be fans, sponsors and players wondering whom they should watch, invest in or play for.</p>
<p>Compared with traditional racket sports, pickleball is less expensive, requires less space and may be more compatible with the aches and pains that come with age. And unlike other emerging sports, pickleball’s future seems bright. But for now it has more in common with <a href="https://www.psupress.org/books/titles/978-0-271-03781-3.html">French feudalism</a> of the ninth century – when territorial disputes were commonplace – than a modern unified sport movement headed for the Olympics.</p>
<h2>Birds of a feather dink together</h2>
<p>If two strangers meet in a bar and happen to share an interest in pickleball, they won’t be strangers for long. Shared passion is the glue and fuel of emerging sports communities. But the human tendency to bond with those who are like us also poses a problem for sports seeking to achieve widespread popularity.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.415">Sociological studies</a> show that our love of sameness partly explains why our groups and social networks tend to be homogeneous, such as male-dominated occupations, predominantly white community groups, and friendship circles united by a single religion. For grassroots sports, which spread through social networks, the sameness problem can limit growth by narrowing the flock to those with similar feathers.</p>
<p>Pickleball insiders like to talk about the sport’s relatively balanced <a href="https://usapickleball.org/about-us/organizational-docs/pickleball-fact-sheet/">gender ratio</a>, which stands at roughly 60% to 70% men and 30% to 40% women. The newest professional league, Major League Pickleball, is promoting the sport through <a href="https://www.majorleaguepickleball.net/mlp-descriptions">mixed-gender competitions</a>, with teams comprising two men and two women – a unique format in the male-dominated world of pro sports.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492797/original/file-20221101-23-ykkbxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Female pickleball player lunges toward a ball to return a shot." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492797/original/file-20221101-23-ykkbxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492797/original/file-20221101-23-ykkbxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492797/original/file-20221101-23-ykkbxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492797/original/file-20221101-23-ykkbxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492797/original/file-20221101-23-ykkbxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492797/original/file-20221101-23-ykkbxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492797/original/file-20221101-23-ykkbxf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=527&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="caption">Pickleball seems to have more gender parity than other sports.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/melanie-beckstrand-returns-a-shot-against-kelly-mceniry-news-photo/1421105751?phrase=pickleball&adppopup=true">Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>But grassroots sports sprout from the ground up, and long-term growth depends partly on the demographic diversity of core players. Pickleball may be trending younger, but one-third of its avid players are of <a href="https://usapickleball.org/about-us/organizational-docs/pickleball-fact-sheet/">retirement age</a>. Roughly half the population of pickleball players probably saw the Apollo 11 moon landing. Calculating accurate statistics on niche communities is difficult, but based on my review of multiple academic and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/19/1081257674/americas-fastest-growing-sport-pickleball">journalistic sources</a>, pickleballers are predominantly older, white, affluent and suburban. For instance, two survey-based studies with large samples estimated the proportion of white players at <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31629346/">93.5%</a> and <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/japa/27/1/article-p28.xml">94.1%</a>.</p>
<p>Demographic homogeneity is a tough trend to buck. Of course, some sports, like golf and NASCAR, have expanded their reach <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/02/which-sports-have-the-whitest-richest-oldest-fans/283626/">without solving the sameness problem</a>. But given the nation’s reckoning around race and gender, a successful push for greater diversity could be the one thing that separates pickleball from the crowd of dreamer upstarts.</p>
<h2>Will the revolution even need to be televised?</h2>
<p>That sports grow when mainstream media pay attention to them seems obvious. Increased media coverage from ESPN or CBS attracts more participants and consumers, enticing sponsors and fostering stronger sport institutions.</p>
<p>Yet, as a growth strategy, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/07/24/744775904/cornhole-and-other-less-traditional-sports-gather-more-attention">buying airtime</a> on ESPN – which sports like cornhole and ax throwing are doing – may provide little more than airy hope. As pickleball strives to expand its audience, it faces stiff competition from traditional sports brands like the NFL and NBA, as well as emerging brands like esports, mixed martial arts, disc golf, cornhole, drone racing, round net, darts and ax throwing.</p>
<p>With so many options, some sports just won’t make it big. The history of emerging sports is filled with booms and busts. Interest in gambling sports like jai alai and horse racing has <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/longform/2013/2/28/4036934/jai-alai-sport-in-america-miami">declined tremendously</a> since the late 20th century. ESPN’s X Games popularized alternative sports like <a href="https://www.goskate.com/top/47-facts-about-x-games-skateboarding/">skateboarding</a> in the late 1990s, but some disciplines, like <a href="https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/x-games">street luge</a>, were left behind. Drop “poker” in a <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends">Google Trends</a> search box and you’ll see that the Texas hold ‘em boom lasted for about three years, from 2004 to 2006.</p>
<p>The next big thing in sports may not boom at all. Given that younger consumers are <a href="https://www.theringer.com/sports/2021/4/15/22385705/live-sports-streaming-wars-future-industry">migrating to streaming services</a>, the revolution may not be televised to a mass audience but instead will be streamed to die-hard fans. </p>
<p>Niche sports like pickleball may have an advantage as sports spectatorship fragments. For small sports, a modest audience with slow but steady growth could be a recipe for sustainable success. There are numerous options for watching pickleball matches, such as YouTube channels, livestreams via Facebook, fuboTV, and some coverage on broadcast and cable channels, but demand for live coverage <a href="https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/zane-explains-3/">remains modest</a>.</p>
<p>Ultimately, with so many shiny new sports to choose from, the winners will be determined not by flashy media exposure or top-down commercial forces but rather by bottom-up community development. No matter how hot the publicity gets around pickleball, the consumer base for watching the sport will draw heavily on people who already love playing it. The love of any sport has roots in culture – not commerce.</p>
<p>If pickleball lives up to the hype, it will do so on the backs of volunteers and grassroots organizers who can transform a loose network of casual players into an international community of pickleball fanatics.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193052/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Josh Woods does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Headlines about pickleball’s exploding popularity abound. But the less visible social undercurrents of an emerging sport ultimately shape its long-term future.Josh Woods, Professor of Sociology, West Virginia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1912022022-09-23T14:00:36Z2022-09-23T14:00:36ZRoger Federer proved sporting greatness is about
more than just winning<p><a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/roger-federer/f324/bio#:%7E:text=Player%20Bio&text=1%20(237)%20in%20Pepperstone%20ATP,doubles%20matches%20during%20his%20career.">Roger Federer’s</a> retirement from competitive tennis means the sun is starting to set on a <a href="https://theconversation.com/tennis-has-had-a-golden-generation-but-not-a-golden-era-142003">golden generation</a> of men’s tennis, underpinned by the extraordinary feats of Federer, <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/rafael-nadal/n409/overview">Rafael Nadal</a> and <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/novak-djokovic/d643/overview">Novak Djokovic</a>. News of his retirement has reignited debate about whether he is not just a great of men’s tennis but the GOAT: the greatest of all time. </p>
<p>For many, Federer stands alone at the apex of this and every other generation. But this view is not borne out by the numbers. Federer has won fewer grand slams than Nadal and Djokovic, spent fewer weeks at world number one than Djokovic, and won fewer ATP titles than <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jimmy-connors/c044/overview">Jimmy Connors</a>. </p>
<p>However, raw numbers are an inadequate measure of sporting success. For one thing, they obscure the effect of events that disrupt equality of opportunity across the generations. For example, the numbers do not reflect the recent COVID interruption (and subsequent exclusion from competition of the <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/story/_/id/34457783/unvaccinated-novak-djokovic-withdraws-us-open-travel-united-states">unvaccinated Djokovic</a>), nor do they capture the transitional period from amateur to professional tennis.</p>
<p>How many grand slam titles would <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/rod-laver/l058/overview">Rod Laver</a> have won had he not been banned from grand slam events for five years (1963-1967) following his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/sports/tennis/31anderson.html">departure from the professional tour</a>? Laver won 11 grand slams during his career, including a calendar grand slam (winning all four slams in the same year) both prior to, and following, his ban. The achievement of even one calendar grand slam has eluded Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. </p>
<p>Even if we had a fair and accurate means to compare sporting success across generations, this would not settle the question of greatness. For sporting greatness is not reducible to sporting success. This distinction may be what Federer fans allude to when they refer to him as the GOAT. Rather than nostalgia for a time when the numbers stacked up in his favour, they may be pointing to a broader notion of sporting greatness. </p>
<h2>What makes sporting greatness?</h2>
<p>We should embrace a more nuanced understanding of sporting greatness than one restricted to rankings and titles. Victory is one sporting value among many. To operate with the restricted view overlooks important sporting values that were the hallmark of Federer’s career: excellence, aesthetics and integrity. </p>
<p><strong>Excellence</strong></p>
<p>Federer played “total tennis”. He possessed the full repertoire of skills and capacities – <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00948705.2022.2059489">elements of excellence</a> – that the sport tests and makes possible. During his prime, he could serve-and-volley to win points quickly or grind out long rallies from behind the baseline. </p>
<p>As he entered his mid-thirties, he reinvented his game to play on the baseline and take the ball earlier. While his rivals relied on executing a narrower set of “excellences” supremely well, Federer adapted his game to whatever the circumstance demanded by showcasing different elements at different times.</p>
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<p><strong>Aesthetics</strong></p>
<p>The great players do not just perfect the sport as it is, they alter our understanding of what it can be. While aesthetics is central to a sport such as gymnastics, it is incidental to tennis. An ugly point counts for just as much as a sublime point; ungainly strokes can be as effective as elegant strokes.</p>
<p>However, Federer’s style was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8voIyM81zY&">uniquely pleasing to the eye</a>. He brought tennis to new aesthetic heights with the grace and fluidity of his strokes and his smooth explosive athleticism. He showed that efficiency need not come at the cost of beauty. His style eliminated the distinction between racket and player; in his hand, the racket was an extension, not an addition. Federer revealed new aesthetic possibilities in tennis while never compromising on the pursuit of excellence. </p>
<p><strong>Integrity</strong></p>
<p>Finally, Federer’s greatness also lies partly in his ethics. His integrity as an athlete was most clearly evident in how he conducted himself on the court, how he managed his rivalries, and, perhaps most memorably, how he competed against his greatest rival. </p>
<p>For one so acquainted with winning, Federer knew how to lose well. Throughout his career of more than 1,700 matches, he never <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/roger-federer-retirement%E2%80%94tribute">retired from a match</a>, never feigned or submitted to injury as a contest began to slip away. He was awarded the ATP <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/news/atp-awards-2021-fans-favourite-roger-federer">sportsmanship award</a> 13 times, an accolade voted on by his fellow professionals on the men’s tour.</p>
<p>At each stage of his career, he cultivated relations of reciprocal respect and appreciation with his main rivals, whether it was <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andy-roddick/r485/overview">Andy Roddick</a> in his early period, Nadal in his middle period, or Djokovic in his late period. Through his rivalry with Nadal in particular, we witnessed competition at its best – a mutual quest for excellence in which both players laid down a challenge to each other, and in so doing extended each other’s abilities and improved one another in the process.</p>
<p>While their complementary strengths and weaknesses combined to make for compelling contests, the moral quality of the Federer/Nadal rivalry also stands out. They showed us how to compete well. They competed as fiercely as two athletes can, for the highest stakes in their sport, yet neither resorted to the morally dubious means of <a href="https://theconversation.com/andy-murray-stefanos-tsitsipas-and-that-seven-minute-toilet-break-can-you-cheat-if-you-dont-break-the-rules-167075">cheating or gamesmanship</a>.</p>
<p>Even when chasing history, they proved that competition does not have to be cutthroat. Their example puts the lie to any cynical view of competition according to which rivals must be enemies and every opportunity for advantage must be seized. In doing so, Federer and Nadal have done a service not just to tennis but to sport. </p>
<p>Federer has honoured and deepened a tradition of tennis that stretches back through his idol, <a href="https://www.atptour.com/en/players/pete-sampras/s402/overview">Pete Sampras</a>, and Sampras’s idol, Rod Laver. This tradition prizes attacking flair, fluid technique and impeccable conduct. The modern history of men’s tennis arguably begins with Laver, so it is appropriate that the Federer era ends this weekend at the Laver Cup.</p>
<p>In the final analysis, where Federer stands in the pantheon of great tennis champions is less important than how he broadened our understanding of sporting greatness itself. Success is part of it, but only part – excellence, aesthetics, and integrity also define the greatest of all time.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191202/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John William Devine 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 numbers don’t show he was the greatest, but his excellence, aesthetics and integrity most certainly do.John William Devine, Lecturer in Sports Ethics and Integrity, Swansea UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1908322022-09-16T06:56:31Z2022-09-16T06:56:31ZThe retirement of Roger Federer is the abdication of tennis royalty<p>This is a time of endings. In the midst of the all-consuming <a href="https://theconversation.com/media-coverage-of-queen-elizabeths-death-began-well-but-quickly-descended-into-farce-190645">media spectacle</a> surrounding the death of Queen Elizabeth II, “tennis royalty” in the form of Roger Federer will <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-15/roger-federer-announces-retirement-from-tennis/101446316">retire</a> in the same week and in the same city that she is laid to rest.</p>
<p>When the career of a sporting celebrity concludes, it is widely represented as if they have died, in what journalists call “sports obituaries”. </p>
<p>The person in question is usually still alive and will probably go on to be successful in the business, media and/or charity sectors. But the experience of watching them perform live at the stadium or on screen immediately mutates into nostalgic reflection.</p>
<p>So, what can be said about the sporting life of “Roger”, one the few people often known solely by their given name?</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/serena-williams-forced-sports-journalists-to-get-out-of-the-toy-box-and-cover-tennis-as-more-than-a-game-189024">Serena Williams forced sports journalists to get out of the 'toy box' – and cover tennis as more than a game</a>
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<h2>The final curtain</h2>
<p>When the institution of sport emerged during the late industrial revolution in the 19th century, it changed, as Allen Guttmann famously put it, “<a href="http://cup.columbia.edu/book/from-ritual-to-record/9780231133418">from ritual to record</a>”. It became all about the numbers and the score.</p>
<p>By this measure, Federer’s sporting record is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/roger-federers-records-milestones-2022-09-15/">formidable</a> – world men’s number one for the best part of six years, 20 Grand Slam singles titles (including six Australian Opens), the only player to win at least ten titles on clay, grass and hard court surfaces, and sundry other tennis achievements.</p>
<p>Of course, it has not all gone smoothly. The body that was his finely tuned instrument on the tennis court increasingly failed him, although the steely determination of the champion never wavered. </p>
<p>Until, facing one last hurrah but probably playing on one leg, he chose to lower the curtain at the event that he co-created.</p>
<p>Named after his tennis hero, the <a href="https://lavercup.com/">Laver Cup</a> is a testament to Federer’s unusually intense immersion in tennis history and, ultimately, his own place within it. Federer, who arrived as a <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Master/2N79DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=federer+biography&printsec=frontcover">teenage firebrand</a>, admires not just the impressive tennis record but also the demeanour of <a href="https://www.tennisfame.com/hall-of-famers/inductees/rod-laver">Rod Laver</a>. </p>
<p>An elegant and courteous stylist who was instrumental in the professionalisation of tennis in the 1960s, he has been a significant role model for Federer.</p>
<p>Laver is not just acknowledged as a superlative tennis player, but widely respected and admired. In emulating him, Federer generally behaved well on and off court, although unlike Laver, he sometimes wept with frustration or joy. </p>
<p>In the pure aesthetics of tennis, Federer arguably eclipsed the master. No cold-eyed counting of tournament wins can capture the beauty of his backhand, the flourish of his forehand.</p>
<h2>King Roger and the big three</h2>
<p>In the early days of his career, the Swiss-South African Federer could have gone the way of Australian <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-ash-barty-and-special-k-tennis-triumphs-say-about-australia-and-the-buttoned-up-sport-industry-175993">Nick Kyrgios</a>, who is more than a decade younger. Both supremely talented and combustible, Federer and Kyrgios went in different directions.</p>
<p>Federer became “<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/king-roger-c6xpgkd8t?region=global">King Roger</a>”, as he was anointed by the august Times of London in 2018 – a player who trained hard, curbed his temper, and won Wimbledon at the age of 21. </p>
<p>Kyrgios, by contrast, emerged as “<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-10964325/Wimbledon-2022-Stars-slam-Nasty-Nick-Kyrgios-SPAT-direction-abusive-fan.html">Nasty Nick</a>”, attracting media and spectator interest as much for his confrontational on-court antics as his sometimes sublime tennis. </p>
<p>Even if Kyrgios begins to win Grand Slams while continuing to <a href="https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/07/05/people-cant-look-away-from-nick-kyrgios/">fascinate younger tennis</a> fans, it is unimaginable he will come close to Federer’s elevated place in the pantheon.</p>
<p>Federer’s place in tennis history has been enhanced in part by his membership of the “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/01/obsession-with-big-three-nadal-djokovic-federer-ruined-tennis">Big Three</a>” alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – or the “Big Four” if Andy Murray is included. </p>
<p>With more than 60 Grand Slams between them, the three rivals dominated men’s tennis, supplying the kind of “golden age” narrative so beloved of terminally sentimental sport fans.</p>
<p>Now, with Nadal also prone to injury and Djokovic sacrificing tournaments by refusing to be <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-59890943">vaccinated</a> against COVID, Federer’s retirement signals the end of this era. </p>
<p>The departure of “<a href="https://nypost.com/2022/08/28/all-hail-queen-serena-williams-on-the-verge-of-future-triumphs-in-new-fields/">Queen Serena Williams</a>” from the women’s game and the youth of the singles winners in the 2022 US Open is further evidence that the wheel has, perhaps mercifully, turned in favour of renewal.</p>
<p>But longevity is a major aspect of Federer’s status. He has been at or near the top of tennis for most of the 21st century. </p>
<p>Just as most people have only known one Queen of England, young and middle-aged tennis fans have had the comforting certainty of King Roger plying his trade on the world tennis circuit. </p>
<p>Unlike constitutional monarchies, though, those of the sporting world are produced by performance, not heredity. The new tennis regime is yet to take shape.</p>
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<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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<h2>Astonishing athleticism</h2>
<p>I only saw Roger Federer in the flesh once. </p>
<p>It was two decades ago in London’s shiny <a href="https://www.nike.com/retail/s/niketown-london">NikeTown</a>, and young Roger – an up-and-coming professional contracted to Nike – was playing an exhibition game with oversized tennis balls and undersized racquets. My initial cynicism was overwhelmed by the astonishing athleticism on display. </p>
<p>I thought he’d do well then, but had no idea I was witnessing the rise of the House of Roger.</p>
<p>Federer, we are told, may return to such spaces to play post-retirement exhibition games. The <a href="https://rogerfedererfoundation.org/">Roger Federer Foundation</a>, dedicated to alleviating child poverty through education, could use the money.</p>
<p>But before the next phase of King Roger’s life there must be the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Media_Events/MxzQnVZhQE0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=live+events+broadcasting&printsec=frontcover">ceremonial media moment</a> of his appearance in the O2 arena in London, this week’s global capital of farewell ceremonies.</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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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190832/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Rowe 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>Roger Federer will retire this week at the Laver Cup. He leaves behind a formidable sporting record.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/1897982022-09-01T14:36:05Z2022-09-01T14:36:05Z4 lessons from Serena Williams for sportswomen in Africa<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/482288/original/file-20220901-19-rkjqd2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Serena Williams celebrates a win at her final professional tournament, the 2022 US Open.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Frey/TPN/Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>US icon <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Serena-Williams">Serena Williams</a>, considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, is <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words">retiring</a> from professional tennis. Williams has won 23 grand slam singles titles, more than any <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/280390/female-tennis-players-with-the-most-victories-at-grand-slam-tournaments/">other woman</a> or <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/263034/male-tennis-players-with-the-most-victories-at-grand-slam-tournaments/">man</a> during the professional era, which began in 1968. Coached by her father, she changed the face of the women’s game. In the process, through speaking frankly about her life and career, she became a role model for many black women around the world. Tennis Kenya secretary general and former player Wanjiru Mbugua Karani recently <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/62542976">said</a>: “Serena has been the ‘be-all’ for African tennis, and especially for girls in Africa.” We asked Kenyan political sociologist and gender expert Awino Okech what lessons can be learned for African women in sports when reflecting on Williams’ career.</em></p>
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<h2>1. Public investment in sport pays off</h2>
<p>The story of Serena Williams and her sister <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Venus-Williams">Venus Williams</a>, a fellow star player, is not one of privilege. Serena’s success was initially nurtured at an old public tennis court in her neighbourhood. Her father gathered resources where he could find them to skill his daughters when he saw potential in tennis. </p>
<p>Across sections of Africa, we see the <a href="https://www.landportal.org/blog-post/2021/02/hands-our-playground-securing-land-rights-kenyan-schools">public divestment</a> in sports through land grabs with public parks converted into office buildings and apartments, thus limiting space for recreation and sports. Secondly, the privatisation of sporting facilities limits public access as people have to pay to use them. Thirdly, the under-resourcing of public schools results in limited, if any, investment in sporting facilities. The result is a class divide that writes out most young Africans from sporting opportunities. African governments need to make greater investments in public sports facilities and programmes targeting girls particularly in contexts where sports is not viewed as a viable career option.</p>
<h2>2. Racism in sport must be eliminated</h2>
<p>Serena and Venus Williams’ importance to world tennis lies in their being outliers in a sport that has been historically dominated by white women and men. Consequently, Serena’s iconic stature as a tennis star has been coloured by the gender and racial dynamics that have shaped her treatment in the sport. She was subjected to descriptions around her masculinity, aggression, and her power as a player. These are broader racialised tropes that link <a href="https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/feral-savages-post-riot-labelling-of-british-blacks/">Black people to savagery</a> and whiteness to evolved humanity. In the visual and verbal descriptions of Serena in the public media, we saw the use of historically <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/09/11/long-history-behind-racist-attacks-serena-williams/">racialised tropes</a> of the angry Black woman and animalistic caricatures by the media and social media users. This was intended to diminish her capabilities through psychological warfare. </p>
<p>Anti-Black <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/18/euros-afcon-players-faced-racist-homophobic-abuse-online">racism in sport</a> has been the subject of public debates and investigations. <a href="https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/58e4c303ca2197f5/original/FIFA-Threat-Matrix-Report.pdf">One study</a> revealed that Black football players who missed penalties were the most abused players in the Euro 2020 championship final stage. </p>
<p>In Serena’s case, these experiences sit at the intersection of gender and race. All women share the experience of sexism – from pay disparities to the lack of attention to women’s sports compared to men’s. However, the combination of race and gender doubles the battle that Serena Williams and other international athletes like South African sprinting champion <a href="https://catalystjournal.org/index.php/catalyst/article/view/28800/21401">Caster Semenya</a> must contend with. Serena <a href="https://www.dailysabah.com/sports/tennis/underpaid-undervalued-serena-williams-highlights-racism-in-tennis">took a stand</a>. She <a href="https://www.insider.com/venus-serena-williams-indian-wells-boycott-before-naomi-osaka-incident-2022-3">withdrew from and boycotted</a> events such as the BNP Paribas Open in California because of racial slurs from the crowd.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/tennis-star-ons-jabeur-is-tunisias-minister-of-happiness-186638">Tennis star Ons Jabeur is Tunisia's "minister of happiness"</a>
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<p>The race problem in sports – which becomes visible through online abuse, spectator behaviour and overall sports management – is reflective of a broader problem. The anti-Black character of racism experienced by Serena will not be solved by more representation of Black women but by a systemic reckoning that challenges how race and gender disparities are entrenched in the DNA of competitive sport.</p>
<h2>3. We need to talk about mental health in women’s sport</h2>
<p>Sexism and racism accompanied by the intense public scrutiny in competitive sport have drawn attention to the critical question of mental health. We are now witnessing a generation of younger athletes such as Japanese tennis star <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/57310701">Naomi Osaka</a> and US gymnastics champion <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/simone-biles-olympics-mental-health-athletes/#:%7E:text=United%20States%20gymnast%20Simone%20Biles,up%20about%20their%20mental%20health.">Simone Biles</a> taking a stand. They have at times chosen mental wellbeing over participating in high pressured competitions. Serena Williams has played an important role in creating the space for a tennis player like Osaka to speak out. </p>
<p>These acts of courage take place in an environment in which a discussion on mental wellbeing is construed as weakness. They focus attention on a neglected area in sports, the need for a holistic health system that supports the pressure cooker environment of elite sports. The <a href="https://www.k24tv.co.ke/lifestyle/conjestina-achiengs-son-66357/#:%7E:text=Conjestina%20was%20diagnosed%20with%20schizoaffective,to%20others%20and%20perceives%20reality.">case</a> of Kenyan middleweight boxer Conjestina Achieng, the first African woman to hold an international boxing title, is illustrative. Achieng, who was diagnosed with mental illness, has been failed by a broader public health system. One that allocates too few resources to training mental health experts and providing specialist services in public hospitals. </p>
<p>The limited options available for athletes in the global south points to the destruction of public health systems <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7223727/">due to privatisation</a>. In Kenya, for example, failed public healthcare is a legacy of policies promoting <a href="https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/bitstream/handle/10625/25742/IDL-25742.pdf">historical inequality</a> which continue under <a href="https://dawnnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/DAWN-DP-25_MEDICAL-EQUIPMENT-LEASING-IN-KENYA_NEO-COLONIAL-GLOBAL-FINANCE-AND-MISPLACED-HEALTH-PRIORITIES.pdf">the veneer of</a> public private partnerships. A conversation about mental health in sports is fundamentally a public policy discussion about economic investment in health systems.</p>
<h2>4. Sportswomen deserve a more secure future</h2>
<p>Serena’s exit from tennis is accompanied by a financial exit strategy – <a href="https://www.serenaventures.com">Serena Ventures</a>, a venture capital firm. The financial security built of decades of success in a sport does not translate in the same way in contexts shaped by vast economic disparities. Serena’s context shows what needs to change. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/caster-semenya-the-legal-and-ethical-issues-that-should-concern-us-all-117636">Caster Semenya: the legal and ethical issues that should concern us all</a>
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<p>In Kenya, coupled with the pressures of competitive sport, women athletes are also dealing with the silence around intimate partner violence in the sports fraternity – highlighted by the murders of athletes <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2021/10/15/husband-arrested-in-killing-of-olympic-runner-agnes-tirop/">Agnes Tirop</a> and <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2022/04/20/another-female-athlete-killed-in-kenya/">Damaris Muthee</a>. </p>
<p>There are three interlocked issues here. The first is the absence of strong financial advice and support to athletes over the course of their careers. The second is the vast societal inequalities that create undue pressure on young athletes who come into money to support their families financially. Finally, the combination of class and gender demands that femicide and intimate partner violence are taken as seriously by sports associations as they do anti-doping campaigns.</p>
<p>Serena Williams’ journey of excellence and fortitude also shines a light on the negative outcomes that sit at the intersection of race, gender and class in sports specifically and society generally. As we hail the “Greatest of All Time”, African governments must take heed of the structural shifts required in our sports arena.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189798/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Awino Okech 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>She blazed a trail for Black women athletes – despite the challenges they face in sport and society.Awino Okech, Associate professor in political sociology, SOAS, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1890242022-08-31T12:30:23Z2022-08-31T12:30:23ZSerena Williams forced sports journalists to get out of the ‘toy box’ – and cover tennis as more than a game<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481841/original/file-20220830-33371-wi1js8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=562%2C217%2C4440%2C3113&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Serena Williams serves in her quarterfinal match during the 2019 Australian Open.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/serena-williams-of-the-united-states-serves-in-her-quarter-news-photo/1086511466?adppopup=true">Cameron Spencer/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Of the many outstanding components of her game, Serena Williams may best be known for her commanding serve. </p>
<p>Those serves, unleashed over the course of a 27-year professional career, arguably <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/28/serena-williams-legacy-final-us-open/">heightened the power and intensity of the women’s game</a>, forcing her opponents to game plan for each wicked volley.</p>
<p>To those chronicling her exploits as one of the world’s best tennis players, Williams served up a different challenge. </p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=khknZE8AAAAJ&hl=en">As a scholar of sports journalism</a>, I have observed how its practitioners have <a href="https://www.peterlang.com/document/1140692">struggled to find</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2015-0072">their</a> <a href="https://pennstate.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/the-rene-portland-case-new-homophobia-and-heterosexism-in-womens-/fingerprints/">footing</a> when it comes to establishing consensus about what exactly constitutes good sports journalism.</p>
<p>Williams’ presence as a Black woman in a historically white, patriarchal sport, her commitment to activism and her willingness to bare her personal challenges to the public forced sports journalists to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2020.1785323">reevaluate professional norms</a> that urged them to focus only on what happened between the lines.</p>
<h2>Apolitical origins</h2>
<p>Sports journalism emerged in the late 19th century and fully established itself as a distinct journalism genre when newspaper publishers, in an effort to attract wider audiences, moved away from being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10584600600629737">partisan party organs</a>. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=AJSHYloAAAAJ&citation_for_view=AJSHYloAAAAJ:Y0pCki6q_DkC">Sports quickly became</a> a lucrative way to sell newspapers.</p>
<p>Those apolitical origins shaped its future trajectory. Success often depended on access to players and front office personnel, as well as cozy relationships with league officials. Chief among the outcomes of that arrangement was the <a href="https://sk.sagepub.com/books/sports-journalism-context-and-issues">general reluctance</a> among sports journalists to cast a critical eye toward the role sports plays in our communities and greater society.</p>
<p>In general, Americans often imagine sports as aligned with the values they hold dear. Journalists and public officials regularly talk about sports as the embodiment of a meritocracy and a reflection of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479516676577">power of the individual</a> to overcome any biases or challenges.</p>
<p>Such media narratives fail to address how sports, despite all their feel-good moments, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1012690214538864">play a role</a> in contributing to forms of discrimination and alienation.</p>
<h2>Reporters play in the toy box</h2>
<p>By the late 20th century – just when Williams was emerging as a tennis star – the industry had turned into an <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429497216-8/money-myth-big-match-david-rowe">enormous multimedia profit-making enterprise</a> at a time when newspapers’ ad revenue <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/4/28/5661250/newspaper-print-ad-revenue-has-declined-73-in-15-years">was starting to crumble</a>.</p>
<p>Sports journalists had come to be seen by their news peers as playing in a proverbial “<a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/469384/pdf?casa_token=_iX93p-6caMAAAAA:7hHQUArmrKmDKvVv_Qs-0IXadIRNp2imm4xwTw7GP0gJoZYJV0LcNgxjicu4LyrgFl3jB7Ja09k">toy box</a>” within the wider newsroom. That is to say, their colleagues saw them as frivolous, lacking in a serious approach. They weren’t there to serve as watchdogs or contribute solutions, through their reporting, to issues affecting the nation or local communities. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman returns a tennis shot." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481825/original/file-20220830-29386-4sambv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481825/original/file-20220830-29386-4sambv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481825/original/file-20220830-29386-4sambv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481825/original/file-20220830-29386-4sambv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481825/original/file-20220830-29386-4sambv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481825/original/file-20220830-29386-4sambv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481825/original/file-20220830-29386-4sambv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&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">Serena Williams stretches for a backhand during the 1998 French Open when she was 16 years old.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/serena-williams-of-the-usa-stretches-for-a-backhand-during-news-photo/1292873?adppopup=true">Clive Brunskill /Allsport via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>Instead, sports journalists simply became known as sports gurus adept at parsing the finer points of a football receiver’s routes or debating the merits of a basketball team’s zone defense.</p>
<p>And so when Williams turned professional in 1995 at the age of 14, early coverage sidestepped conversations about the the unique kinds of gendered racism that a Black girl from a working-class California neighborhood might face on the professional tour. </p>
<p>As sociologist <a href="https://grsj.arts.ubc.ca/profile/delia-douglas/">Delia Douglas</a> has explained, tennis has a history as being accessible only to people who can afford to play at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934711410880">resorts, country clubs and tennis academies</a>. It is also a sport with <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/29242699">different rules</a> for men and women, a practice that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/29242699">contributes to stereotypes</a> about women athletes as weak, or less interesting, than their male peers.</p>
<p>But the context of Williams’ entry into professional tennis often went unacknowledged. Coverage instead focused on the <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/09/20/father-knew-best-with-her-galvanizing-win-at-the-us-open-serena-williams-proved-dad-righthe-predicted-that-she-not-older-sister-venus-would-be-the-better-playerbut-may-have-created-family-tension">efforts of her father to train his daughters</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1998/02/02/slice-girls-serena-and-venus-williams-cut-up-some-top-foesand-did-some-cutting-up-themselvesin-australia">the passing of the baton from Venus to Serena</a>, and the sisters’ <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/03/22/serenas-at-peace-with-herself-after-back-to-back-titles-serena-williams-has-no-doubt-she-can-win-big">style of play</a>. Moreover, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=NJjI-vMAAAAJ&citation_for_view=NJjI-vMAAAAJ:e5wmG9Sq2KIC">woven through that coverage</a> was an underlying suggestion that Serena Williams did not fit within the definition of respectable tennis, as reporters commented on her fashion choices or wondered if her style of play was damaging the women’s game. </p>
<h2>Sports don’t happen in a vacuum</h2>
<p>Practicing sports journalism by “sticking to sports” leaves reporters ill-equipped to cover news events that demand a wider lens. </p>
<p>Such was the case in 2001 when fans at the Indian Wells tennis tournament subjected the Williams sisters to <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32655164/serena-williams-haunted-booing-jeers-indian-wells-tennis-tournament-2001">traumatizing racist insults</a>, an experience that led the duo to boycott the event for 14 years. </p>
<p>Researchers who studied the event found that most of the ensuing media coverage focused solely on the incident itself and provided <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0193723504264411">little insight</a> to address the forms of whiteness and patriarchy ingrained in pro tennis.</p>
<p>This type of journalism is often described as episodic, in that it casts a light solely on the singular event, divorcing it from the forces that contributed to the specific situation. This framing technique is not uncommon in sports journalism. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10538712.2019.1703233">Coverage of the U.S. women’s gymnastics coach Larry Nassar</a>, who was convicted of abusing dozens of athletes under his care, tended to focus on individual victim stories, while framing Nassar as “one bad apple.” And <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2167479518817759">stories chronicling intimate partner violence</a> committed by NFL players have a history of being framed similarly – a crime carried out by a singular individual, separate from a system that may foster violence toward women. </p>
<p>But Williams demanded sports journalists do more than analyze her serve. She has spoken publicly from her own experiences about the tragedy of <a href="https://www.ebony.com/serena-williams-shares-her-near-fatal-birthing-story1/">subpar maternal care for Black women</a>. She <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4437584/serena-williams-sexism/">asked journalists</a> assembled at her post-championship match news conference at the U.S. Open in 2018 – where she had argued with the judge and been deducted a point – whether a man would be so acutely penalized for doing the same thing. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Serena Williams questions whether she would have been penalized in the same way if she were a man at the 2018 U.S. Open.</span></figcaption>
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<p>She has pushed the boundaries of women’s tennis, and in doing so, has insisted that women be treated better by journalists and event organizers, calling for an end to the <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/serena-williams-sports-gender-inequality/">pay disparities between men and women</a> on the professional tours. </p>
<p>Scholarship on sports journalism suggests the boundaries of the genre are rapidly changing. And the field is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2020.1785323">shedding its stick-to-sports ethos</a>, in part, due to activist-minded athletes like Serena Williams.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189024/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Erin Whiteside does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There is no understating the impact Williams has had on the game itself. But her role in helping sports journalists reimagine the scope of their work is a key part of her enduring legacy.Erin Whiteside, Associate Professor of Journalism and Electronic Media, University of TennesseeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1890972022-08-30T12:28:49Z2022-08-30T12:28:49ZSerena Williams: why more athletes are retiring later<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481766/original/file-20220830-19040-z5qw7n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4073%2C3072&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Forty is the new thirty.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-september-3-2016-grand-625010936">Leonard Zhukovsky/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Serena Williams has announced she’s retiring. The tennis star has had a long and decorated career, winning 23 grand slams and establishing herself as one of the most well-known professional athletes in the world. Williams, who is 40, joins a host of other professional athletes who have continued to compete well beyond the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7764278/pdf/ijerph-17-09265.pdf">typical retirement age</a> for athletes – which is between 28-32 years of age. Other notable athletes still competing at the highest level of their sport after 40 include English cricketer James Anderson (who is 40) and American surfer Kelly Slater (who is 50).</p>
<p>There are many reasons an athlete may choose to retire from sport, such as injury, illness, fitness or family. But a combination of better training, nutrition and recovery techniques may help explain why a growing number of athletes are competing past what was once considered their “prime”. </p>
<h2>Training</h2>
<p>Athletes have a wealth of support systems to help them in their training – including their coach, who helps them reach their peak for certain performances and recover between games or competitions. </p>
<p>The “old school” approach to training consisted of high-intensity exercise to failure or fatigue – essentially pushing an athlete until they couldn’t do any more during that training session. The main benefit of this approach is that it’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2988497/">time-efficient</a>, as the more intense the exercise, the less time is needed to achieve the benefits of training. </p>
<p>But a more structured approach is now favoured by many athletes and coaches. The reason for this shift in training styles is thanks in large part to research over the past 20 years showing burnout and injuries are more common as a result of overtraining caused by high-intensity exercise. </p>
<p>To avoid this, most athletes now use <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2015/12000/Current_Scientific_Evidence_for_a_Polarized.34.aspx">polarised training</a>, which favours moderate-intensity training. Polarised training still improves performance, but with less likelihood of injury or burnout. Athletes may also use concurrent training, which combines both strength and endurance training in the same session. This kind of training is especially useful, considering most types of sports <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315763/">combine both strength and endurance</a>.</p>
<p>Sports scientists and coaches now also understand a lot more about the demands of a sport, so they try to tailor training to target specific weaknesses or strengths in an athlete’s performance. All of this leads to less <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2653871/pdf/381.pdf">overtraining</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8650470/">illness and injury</a> – which can help extend an athlete’s playing life.</p>
<h2>Recovery</h2>
<p>We also now know more about the best ways to help an athlete recover.</p>
<p>For example, sleep is now known to be extremely important for an athlete’s performance. This is because sleep releases human growth hormone, which is important for <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-198704020-00004">muscle growth</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7844366/">maintaining muscle mass</a>. This not only allows an athlete to perform at their best, it also helps them be ready for their next training session or competition. </p>
<p>Since the body <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1096637400800118?via%3Dihub">secretes less human growth hormone</a> as a person ages, ensuring an athlete gets a good night’s sleep can be one strategy for helping them avoid this and maintain their athletic performance. </p>
<p>Research also continues to reveal the best approaches for recovery after competition or training. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9012715/">Ice baths</a> are extremely popular now, as these reduce muscle soreness and can help athletes <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-021-04683-8">recover more quickly</a> when needed. </p>
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<img alt="A man sits in an ice bath." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481769/original/file-20220830-29386-t4c0z3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/481769/original/file-20220830-29386-t4c0z3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481769/original/file-20220830-29386-t4c0z3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481769/original/file-20220830-29386-t4c0z3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481769/original/file-20220830-29386-t4c0z3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481769/original/file-20220830-29386-t4c0z3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/481769/original/file-20220830-29386-t4c0z3.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">Unconventional techniques, such as ice baths, may improve athletes’ recovery.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vilnius-lithuania-april-30-2022-boy-2151783217">Michele Ursi/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>In recent years, more athletes are adopting post-exercise recovery – such as ice baths or compression garments. However, the research on how useful these techniques are is still mixed. Athletes may also <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/16/6/article-p787.xml">use wearables</a> to track how long it takes their body to recover, which may better guide their training.</p>
<p>Better recovery means athletes are less likely to suffer from fatigue or injuries, which may help them compete longer.</p>
<h2>Nutrition</h2>
<p>Different diets and supplements can be used to enhance performance and recovery.</p>
<p>For example, probiotics (live microorganisms often found in fermented foods, such as yoghurt or kimchi) have been shown to help <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925426/">improve the absorption of key nutrients</a> associated with immune system and bone health. This could help an athlete recover faster between competitions.</p>
<p>Good nutrition is also key for a long career. It’s well known that as we age we need to maintain our muscle mass differently. This may require adjustments to protein intake depending on the changing demands of exercise. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8619485/pdf/nutrients-13-03771.pdf">Personalised diets</a> are also being adopted by athletes which may take into account their genetics, immune function and digestive system to ensure they’re eating the best diet for their body and to enhance recovery.</p>
<p>Personalising diets and changing them throughout their career can allow athletes to maintain their health and performance. </p>
<h2>Mental health</h2>
<p>An athlete’s mental health is a big reason many decide to retire from competition.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/serena-williams-why-many-female-athletes-feel-pressure-to-retire-after-becoming-mothers-189031">Serena Williams: why many female athletes feel pressure to retire after becoming mothers</a>
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<p>Research shows that athletes are more likely to experience mental health problems (such as anxiety) during their <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-016-0492-2">peak age of performance</a>. But having the <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/22/1243">right psychological support</a> can prevent mental health problems in athletes, and also give them the right coping mechanisms to deal with the stresses of high level competition. Research even shows <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(21)00397-7/fulltext">making mental health a priority</a> during training and competition is key to continued success.</p>
<p>As we learn more about training, ageing, nutrition and supporting athletes, there’s no doubt we will only continue to see more athletes extending their careers. If they continue to enjoy the sport, adapt to change and maximise their health along the way, it seems logical to continue.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189097/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gary Brickley 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>Better knowledge of the right training strategies is one reason more athletes are continuing to compete longer than they used to.Gary Brickley, Senior Lecturer, Sport and Exercise Science, University of BrightonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1890312022-08-22T12:25:38Z2022-08-22T12:25:38ZSerena Williams: why many female athletes feel pressure to retire after becoming mothers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/480347/original/file-20220822-64444-kcyuod.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5184%2C3445&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Williams has won 23 grand slams in her career.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teb-bnp-paribas-wta-championship-on-1896783634">photoyh/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Serena Williams has announced she’s retiring from tennis. During her career, the 40-year-old has often been hailed as the best female tennis player, winning 23 grand slam titles. In 2017, Williams won the Australian Open while eight weeks pregnant, returning to play in 2018 after giving birth and even making the Wimbledon final that same year. </p>
<p>In an essay Williams wrote for Vogue, the <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words">main reason given for her retirement</a> was wanting to expand her family. Williams is not alone in her decision. For many professional sportswomen, pregnancy and motherhood are often the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2020.1720200">main reasons they end their sports career</a>. </p>
<p>And, as Williams acknowledged <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words">in her essay</a>, it’s a decision male athletes often don’t need to make. “I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and family,” she wrote. “I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy I wouldn’t be writing this.” </p>
<p>There are plenty of examples of professional male athletes who have continued to play competitively despite becoming fathers. Take tennis player Novak Djokovic, for example, who even said becoming a father was good for his <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/story/_/id/13347641/tennis-fatherhood-inspires-novak-djokovic-roger-federer">competitive play</a>. </p>
<p>Research has confirmed this, with a study comparing male and female distance runners showing many women felt pregnancy carried an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1469029215000643">expectation that they would retire</a>. Meanwhile men felt it was both “acceptable and worthwhile” to continue their career, even after becoming a parent. </p>
<p>Of course, there’s no denying the physical impact of pregnancy and childbirth, which can see women missing several months of training and competition as a result – something men just don’t have to experience. But this isn’t the only reason many women feel pressure to retire from competitive sport when they choose to become a mother. </p>
<p>First, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10826-012-9673-2">dated cultural norms</a> continue to persist, which fundamentally pit being an athlete against being a good mother. This way of thinking suggests that the perfect mother is selfless, solely focusing on caring for her children and her family. </p>
<p>But being an athlete requires a person to focus on themselves and put their needs first in order to compete at their best. This way of thinking can in turn create guilt, especially for someone who may still choose compete after becoming a mother.</p>
<p>Financial pressure can also be a factor, with many women experiencing a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17430437.2019.1567495">distinct lack of financial support</a> from sponsors and governing bodies during pregnancy. Many stakeholders even assume that pregnancy will mean the end of the athlete’s career, so funding is often cut or removed. </p>
<p>Having the right support, whether from family, coaches or sponsors can allow a woman the opportunity to continue in sport, both in emotional terms but also in more tangible terms (such as having childcare). This may also be why many women <a href="https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/wspaj/18/1/article-p3.xml">decide to wait</a> until the end of their career to start a family.</p>
<p>We also can’t ignore the fact that becoming a mother is hard not only physically but mentally, too. Many professional athletes travel extensively, have hours of training daily and competitions that last weeks. Combining a career with a growing family can be difficult, especially for athletes who may not have the same level of support as Williams did. </p>
<p>Of course, Williams’s situation is unique. She has had a long and very successful career, and even continued to compete for a number of years after giving birth to her first child. </p>
<p>While a desire to expand her family may be a driving force in her retirement, it’s likely that other factors also came into play, such as the frequent injuries she’s suffered recently. By choosing to retire before injury or performance decline hit she is taking some control of her retirement.</p>
<p>There has been a shift in recent years that has seen more women being open about their experiences of being <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2016-54166-001">a mother and an athlete</a> and the challenges that might involve. Yet many women still remain concerned about how they <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/11745398.2008.9686792">may be judged</a> for choosing to continue their career even after becoming a mother. </p>
<p>Women shouldn’t have to choose between being a mother or continuing their athletic career. But in order to make this possible, we need a better understanding of how to support athletic mothers, and what they need to <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/bjsports/50/10/567.full.pdf">manage their training and career</a> both during and after pregnancy. </p>
<p>There’s still <a href="https://www.jospt.org/doi/abs/10.2519/jospt.2020.0607">limited guidance</a> on how to return to exercise after childbirth especially when the return is to elite level competition.</p>
<p>What needs to happen going forward is ensuring more women have a choice when it comes to competing and being a mother. This will include providing the right support, financial stability and information to women on how they can continue to compete during and after pregnancy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189031/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Candice Lingam-Willgoss 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>More women should feel they have a choice to continue playing after becoming a mother – which is why the right kind of support is important.Candice Lingam-Willgoss, Senior Lecturer in Sport & Fitness, The Open UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1852082022-06-24T00:50:38Z2022-06-24T00:50:38ZBoycotts in sport may not advance human rights. But they do harm individual athletes<p>Organisers of Wimbledon, the main draw of which begins on June 27, have found themselves in a quandary over their controversial decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players in protest over the invasion of Ukraine.</p>
<p>The banned players include current men’s world number 1 Daniil Medvedev, number 8 Andrey Rublev, and women’s world number 6 Aryna Sabalenka.</p>
<p>Both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) penalised Wimbledon for this ban by <a href="https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/32498/12617666/wimbledon-has-ranking-points-stripped-by-atp">stripping the tournament of its ranking points</a>. </p>
<p>Because one of the world’s most prestigious tennis tournaments has been relegated to merely a high-profile exhibition event, a growing number of players have <a href="https://talksport.com/sport/tennis/1132543/naomi-osaka-eugenie-bouchard-pull-out-wimbledon-withdraw-ranking-points-injury/">pulled out of the tournament</a>, including Naomi Osaka and Eugenie Bouchard (this shows how a boycotter event can simultaneously be boycotted by participants).</p>
<p>These kinds of boycotts occur regularly in high-profile sport as event organisers and participants use its global reach to highlight human rights violations.</p>
<p>But boycott actions and counter-actions – including those at Wimbledon – often do more to harm individual athletes who happen to be nationals of these countries rather than to the condemned regime or the event sponsors.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-banning-russian-tennis-players-from-wimbledon-the-right-call-179551">Is banning Russian tennis players from Wimbledon the right call?</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Sport and human rights</h2>
<p>Australian former golfer Greg Norman sparked world-wide condemnation with his <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/weve-all-made-mistakes-greg-normans-gaffe-over-killing-of-saudi-journalist-jamal-khashoggi-p3vv0g88r">statement</a> that “we’ve all made mistakes” when discussing the Saudi-Arabian-backed killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.</p>
<p>It didn’t go unnoticed that Norman is also CEO of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Investments, which launched a PGA-breakaway golf tour for the super-rich. </p>
<p>Norman’s dismissal of a murder and the horrified global reaction to his comment show the power of sport to highlight and simultaneously ignore human rights violations. </p>
<p>Nations accused of violating these rights have found strategic, proactive approaches to counter the punitive, reactive, and short-term approach of economic boycotts. And sport plays an important part in that, such as the example of Qatar using the FIFA World Cup as a confirmation of their credibility and ability to host a globally significant event.</p>
<p>Such investments in “sportswashing” – using sport as a thin veneer to present a sanitised, friendlier version of a political regime or an organisation – are big business. The global influence of sport can become a vehicle for soft diplomacy and pursuing legitimacy.</p>
<p>November’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar remains a topic of a decade-long debate questioning how FIFA could award the world’s biggest sporting event to a country with a <a href="https://www.hrw.org/middle-east/north-africa/qatar">dubious human rights record</a>.</p>
<p>This has now only worsened with evidence of <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/qatar-world-cup-of-shame/">mass exploitation</a> of the migrant workers constructing the Cup’s stadiums.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470221/original/file-20220622-3398-cirqal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Many migrant construction workers queue up for the bus back to their accommodation camp" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470221/original/file-20220622-3398-cirqal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470221/original/file-20220622-3398-cirqal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470221/original/file-20220622-3398-cirqal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470221/original/file-20220622-3398-cirqal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470221/original/file-20220622-3398-cirqal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470221/original/file-20220622-3398-cirqal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470221/original/file-20220622-3398-cirqal.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=406&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="caption">Migrant construction workers building infrastructure for the Qatar World Cup worked in very harsh conditions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://photos.aap.com.au/search/migrant%20workers%20and%20fifa">STR/EAP/AP</a></span>
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<p>Although arguably less extreme in nature, Australia is not absolved of human rights deficiencies in sport.</p>
<p>Why, for example, do Indigenous Australians remain <a href="https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/kb/indigenous-australians-and-sport#statistics">under-represented</a> at the elite and community level in most Aussie sports? Why are Australian women missing as leaders in coaching? Why is there currently only one <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/australian-footballer-josh-cavallo-comes-out-as-gay">openly gay male professional soccer player</a> in Australia and <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-afl-s-growing-problem-with-invisibility-of-gay-players-20220328-p5a8np.html">no openly gay male AFL players</a>? Why have so many members of Australia’s gymnastics and swim teams reported <a href="https://theconversation.com/sport-integrity-australias-report-represents-a-reckoning-for-west-australian-gymnastics-but-has-justice-really-been-done-181246">abuse and toxic cultures</a> that started when they were children?</p>
<p>We should take to heart that even the practice of sport is a universal human right under the Olympic and <a href="https://www.coe.int/en/web/sport/revision-esc">European Sports Charters</a>, and other internationally ratified declarations and treaties.</p>
<p>However, most nations do not fully recognise and implement this notion in policy and practice, with access to sport participation often marred with complexities and hypocrisy.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-olympics-have-always-been-a-platform-for-protest-banning-hand-gestures-and-kneeling-ignores-their-history-129694">The Olympics have always been a platform for protest. Banning hand gestures and kneeling ignores their history</a>
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<h2>Has Wimbledon’s boycott worked?</h2>
<p>Wimbledon organisers are clearly trying to make a point: invading the sovereign territory of another nation is unacceptable.</p>
<p>Yet even though the tournament can call the world’s attention to its stand, has banning players from invading nations proven to be an effective means to defend and protect human rights?</p>
<p>The answer would be a resounding “no”.</p>
<p>What the ban has achieved is to signal that the Wimbledon organisers take a position against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But taking a stand does not defend nor protect.</p>
<p>In this case, it hurts those who cannot be blamed for the war (the banned tennis players), and the unintended consequences (no ranking points) hurt the wider community of professional tennis players.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/french-open-understanding-why-russian-and-belarusian-tennis-players-are-competing-despite-wimbledon-ban-181823">French Open: understanding why Russian and Belarusian tennis players are competing despite Wimbledon ban</a>
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<hr>
<p>While sport can indeed be a valuable platform to promote human rights, we must also recognise it doesn’t take much for sport to become exclusive, divisive and controversial.</p>
<p>Crucially, leveraging sport to advance human rights requires that human rights safeguarding by Australia, Russia or Qatar is measured by the same yardstick, recognising that much work must be done to ensure each country’s own sporting environment is inclusive and free of discrimination.</p>
<p>In doing that, we can truly recognise sport as the universal human right that it is, and it can remain true to its core objective of celebrating human potential and achievement.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185208/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ramon Spaaij receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Health.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hans Westerbeek 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>Boycott actions often do more harm to individual athletes than to the condemned regime.Hans Westerbeek, Professor of International Sport Business, Head of Sport Business Insights Group, Victoria UniversityRamon Spaaij, Professor, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1818232022-05-31T12:06:30Z2022-05-31T12:06:30ZFrench Open: understanding why Russian and Belarusian tennis players are competing despite Wimbledon ban<p>The world’s best tennis players are on court at the <a href="https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/">2022 French Open</a>, the first grand slam since <a href="https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-ukraine">the Russian invasion of Ukraine</a> began in February. Unlike <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-banning-russian-tennis-players-from-wimbledon-the-right-call-179551">Wimbledon 2022</a>, the French Open has decided to let Russian and Belarusian players <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis/news/french-open-2022-why-are-russian-and-belarusian-players-competing-roland-garros-not-wimbledon/i3ezncvyvbis0neapbpyd0ys#:%7E:text=French%20Open%20organisers%20have%20decided,Putin%20that%20sanctions%20would%20follow">compete</a>. </p>
<p>The French Open <a href="https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/roland-garros-french-open-does-not-plan-on-excluding-russians-from-event">decision</a> is in line with other tennis tournaments since the Russian invasion, which have allowed Russian and Belarusian players to participate. This outcome may partly be due to the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/61293193">backlash from players</a> and from the governing body of world tennis the International Tennis Federation (ITF), after the All England Lawn and Tennis Club (AELTC) and the Lawn Tennis Association banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing in all of the British grass court tournaments in 2022, including the third grand slam of the year, <a href="https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2022-04-20/statement_regarding_russian_and_belarusian_individuals_at_the_championships_2022.html">the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, England</a>.</p>
<p>The French Open organisers agreed that individual athletes from Russia and Belarus could compete without flags or national anthems. French tennis federation president <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1122502/french-open-russia-belarus-stance">Gilles Moretton</a> said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>We are in line with the declaration of March 9, 2022 by all the sports ministries of the European Union and other signatory countries, which aims to impose on Russian and Belarusian athletes a regime of strict neutrality.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If Russian or Belarusian players do show support for the war, there will be sanctions, according to French Open tour director <a href="https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/roland-garros/2022/amelie-mauresmo-says-players-will-face-sanctions-for-pro-vladimir-putin-statements-at-french-open_sto8922236/story.shtml">Amélie Mauresmo</a>. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Russian and Belarusian national teams have been banned by the ITF from <a href="https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/russia-and-belarus-banned-from-davis-cup-and-billie-jean-king-cup-but-individual-players-can-compete_sto8823420/story.shtml">international team competitions</a>. </p>
<p>So far, the crowds in Paris have not shown any animosity to any of the Russian or Belarusian players. For instance, the 2021 US Open champion, Russian Daniil Medvedev, was applauded during his <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2022/05/24/daniil-medvedev-vs-facundo-bagnis-live-score-french-open-2022/">first round win</a>. </p>
<p>The International Tennis Federation’s response to the Wimbledon 2022 decision was to announce that players will not receive ranking points in any of the <a href="https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/itf-withdraws-ranking-points-for-wimbledon-juniors-and-wheelchair/">Wimbledon matches</a>. This includes the defending Wimbledon men’s singles champion, Novak Djokovic, who is set to <a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/story/_/id/33977280/no-ranking-points-wimbledon-djokovic-medvedev-osaka-other-players-say-decision">lose his world number one ranking to Medvedev</a> on the basis that he cannot defend the 2000 ranking points he accumulated by winning the 2021 tournament.</p>
<h2>Politics in sport</h2>
<p>As the majority of countries are unwilling to use military force against Russia, sporting bans are another method of asserting pressure. This is effective for <a href="https://theconversation.com/banning-russia-from-world-events-will-help-to-alienate-putin-178255">various reasons</a> including restrictions on participating within international events or hosting international events and the added significant affect this has on tourism and aviation organisations within Russia. </p>
<p>Some believe that the players “silence” <a href="https://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/wimbledon/wimbledon-2022-russian-and-belarusian-players-banned-daniil-medvedev-reaction-list-of-players-banned-atp-and-wta-statetment-aryna-sabalenka/news-story/3dbda60bff6533e31d73ee5efb183c17">makes them indirectly complicit</a>. But some, including the men’s world number eight, the Russian Andriy Rublev, have shown they are not in favour of <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/sport/russia-ukraine-andrey-rublev-war-b2023683.html">war</a>, sparking support for Russian and Belarusian players <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10034662-rafael-nadal-on-wimbledon-banning-russian-belarusian-players-im-sorry-for-them">from fellow players</a>. Many of the players banned for the tournament, inlcuding Medvedev, 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist, Aryna Sabalenka, and two-time Australian Open champion, Victoria Azarenka, actually live in the <a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/501850-french-open-weather-azarenka/">USA</a> and western Europe, in countries such as <a href="https://tennistonic.com/tennis-news/245483/why-medvedev-relocated-his-residence-to-monte-carlo-with-france-being-his-second-home/">Monaco</a>. They could endanger family members by criticising the invasion of Ukraine.</p>
<p>In the time of a war where millions of civilians are being displaced, should the careers of individual tennis players be factored over the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-018-0151-3">collective good</a> to stop innocent lives being ruined? This is a key political, philosophical and moral standpoint that is dependent on one’s perspective, deciding whether society must fight for the greater good, or whether for individuals’ rights. The Wimbledon decision ultimately may limit the value of the 2022 competition due to the strength of the field being diminished and the lack of ranking points on offer. What is clear is that the most effective way to implement a tournament rule is to ensure that all governing bodies across a sport make a joint decision, rather than tournaments making individual decisions that can lead to further discord.</p>
<p>Sport and politics have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1478-9302.12001">been intertwined</a> for more than 100 years – especially international and mega events. Throughout modern history, countries have routinely used sporting events for their own propaganda purposes. Sporting events have sometimes created moments and messages <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2018.1400782">that no other occasions can convey</a>. When hosting major sporting events, potent <a href="https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429345272">political messages are communicated across the globe</a>.</p>
<p>In certain situations, sport has been the only arena to convey political messages. This has sometimes been for positive means, via acts of defiance or resistance, challenging gender stereotypes and unifying nations that have been in internal conflict. The Black Power demonstrations by American athletes John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2012.667823">1968 Mexico City Olympics</a>, the successes of the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa shortly after the end of the apartheid era, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2012.670127">Cathy Freeman’s gold medal</a> in the women’s 400m final at Sydney 2000, conveyed a symbolism that few other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14775080701736957">mediums could have achieved as readily</a>. It is evident that, since the 2022 Winter Paralympics ban on Russian athletes, several sports’ governing bodies and organisations do not want to showcase a nation on the sporting stage while civilians are being <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2022.2005289">killed or displaced</a> by Russian military. </p>
<h2>Negative messages</h2>
<p>Some countries have used international <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/formula-one/formula-1-sportswashing-regime-saudi-arabian-grand-prix-b990413.html">sporting events</a> to showcase their nation in a different guise or for <a href="https://www.policyforum.net/sport-washing-soft-power-and-scrubbing-the-stains/">sportswashing</a> to improve <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/11745398.2015.1122534">their reputations</a>. </p>
<p>Research has explored the boycotts of international events such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14682745.2012.727799">Moscow 1980</a> and the counter-boycott of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2020.1845157">the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 1984</a>. Aside from South Africa during <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/40253495">apartheid</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09523360802367281">boycotts</a> rarely lead to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/2/16/politicians-should-stop-wasting-time-on-doomed-olympic-boycotts">long-term change</a>. But perhaps there is still a moral imperative to try.</p>
<p>The sporting sanctions on Russia <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15387216.2014.985241">before and after the annexation of Crimea</a> were not severe enough to have a true impact, and Russia was still allowed to host the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02723638.2015.1109951">2018 FIFA World Cup</a>, despite the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/mar/16/boycott-world-cup-russia-royal-family">global diplomatic boycott</a>. </p>
<p>Often the sporting world has been too shortsighted and has forgiven too quickly.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181823/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr. Mike Duignan has previously received funding from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), but for a topic unrelated to this article. Mike is also the Director of the Observatory for Human Rights and Major Events which is the UK's official Olympic Studies Centre, which is affiliated to the IOC's academic Olympic Studies Centre. However, the nature of this relationship is academic with the view to disseminate good social science concerning how we can enhance the social and economic benefits of hosting the Olympic Games for the host country, city and its citizens. This article was based on work funded by 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Research and Innovation grant agreement no. 823815.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leon Davis 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>Russian players are competing at the French Open, is this the right move?Leon Davis, Senior Lecturer in Events Management, Teesside UniversityMike Duignan, Head of Department, Reader in Events, and Director of the Observatory for Human Rights and Major Events, University of SurreyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1795512022-03-25T07:12:58Z2022-03-25T07:12:58ZIs banning Russian tennis players from Wimbledon the right call?<p>Wimbledon, the most iconic tennis grand slam, is considering its position on the participation of Russian nationals.</p>
<p>The British sports minister, Nigel Huddleston, recently suggested that for any Russian to play at Wimbledon, “<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/16/tennis/daniil-medvedev-vladimir-putin-wimbledon-spt-intl/index.html">assurances</a>” might be needed about their position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Absolutely nobody flying the flag for Russia should be allowed or enabled. We need some potential assurance that they are not supporters of Putin and we are considering what requirements we may need to try and get some assurances along those lines.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The All England Lawn and Tennis Club is in discussions with the sports minister about the nature of any assurances and whether they would be applied at Wimbledon.</p>
<h2>Umpire’s call</h2>
<p>It now seems likely that Russian players, including the second-ranked male player, Daniil Medvedev and top women like Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, will be expected to divest themselves of symbols and language linking them with the Russian state, and commit to taking part at Wimbledon as “neutrals”.</p>
<p>Medvedev has taken a step in this direction already, removing the Russian flag from his <a href="https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/UK_Tennis/110844/russian-players-forced-to-give-up-wimbledon/">social media profiles</a>. He also stated a wish for world peace.</p>
<p>However, the generic statement of hoping for peace isn’t the same as taking a position on a war in which one’s country is the antagonist. Medvedev is himself taking a neutral position on a war the British government opposes.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1499023182291951616"}"></div></p>
<p>Make no mistake: the Wimbledon tournament – hosted by a NATO country – is more than an exhibition of tennis. It’s also a demonstration of what Britain regards as appropriate, which is unlikely to be <a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/2333875/olympics-and-sport-anti-diplomacy">diplomacy and accommodation</a>.</p>
<p>Huddleston seems only comfortable with Russian athletes who either oppose the war or do not support it, and thus are prepared to distance themselves from Russian President Vladimir Putin.</p>
<h2>In or out?</h2>
<p>The global angst against Putin has been so profound that sport itself has been compelled to come out behind its customary veil of “neutrality” in political matters. As such, sports organisations around the world have taken positions on the participation of both Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes.</p>
<p>One response has been exclusion, with an expectation that isolating Russian teams from world sport is a necessary affront to the <a href="https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3436043-president-zelensky-this-is-the-worst-war-in-europe-since-world-war-ii.html">largest military invasion</a> in Europe since the second world war. That’s the position taken by <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/60568139">swimming, athletics and soccer</a>.</p>
<p>However, some sports bodies, such as <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/tennis/russia-tennis-players-continue-as-neutrals-c-5895304">tennis</a> and <a href="https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/ibu-russia-ukraine-war/50crYBiHnYhvDFc57crpgg">biathlon</a>, are allowing Russian and Belarusian individuals to compete under the proviso they do as “neutrals”. Tennis bodies have, however, suspended both Russian and Belarusian players from team-based competitions.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sports-are-political-reaction-and-inaction-to-putins-war-of-aggression-178115">Sports are political: Reaction and inaction to Putin's war of aggression</a>
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<p>Even the staid <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/michellebruton/2020/10/26/ioc-president-thomas-bach-olympics-are-not-about-politics-athletes-should-be-politically-neutral-at-games/?sh=840db4b79d87">International Olympic Committee</a>, which has long refused to take positions on geopolitical matters, implored sporting bodies and event organisers to “<a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/news/ioc-eb-recommends-no-participation-of-russian-and-belarusian-athletes-and-officials">not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions</a>”.</p>
<p>Moreover, at the recent Beijing Paralympics, several countries <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Athletes-force-a-change-in-ban-of-Russians-at-16974783.php#content">refused to participate against Russian teams</a>, with the result that organisers were pressured into excluding Russian athletes. </p>
<h2>Spin or substance?</h2>
<p>The All England Lawn and Tennis Club has the capacity to decide entry rules for Wimbledon. It may diplomatically align with the ATP and WTA (the organising bodies of the men’s and women’s tours), or it could ban Russians outright.</p>
<p>All of this is controversial. Some critics have suggested that the <a href="https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/russia-ukraine-crisis/russian-artists-athletes-should-not-be-punished-for-putins-action-mikhail-baryshnikov-articleshow.html">human rights of Russian athletes</a> are being denied, as they aren’t responsible for the military activities in Ukraine.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1498304855747842053"}"></div></p>
<p>However, some Russian sports stars – whether voluntarily or otherwise – have made their position known. Several have made public appearances <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/mar/23/russian-athletes-face-backlash-after-wearing-z-symbol-at-putin-rally">sporting the letter Z</a>, which has become a <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/09/1085471200/the-letter-z-russia-ukraine">symbol of support</a> for Russia’s attack on Ukraine.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most emphatic pro-Putin advocate is Russian chess champion <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2022/03/22/russian-chess-champion-sergey-karjakin-banned/7125096001/">Sergey Karjakin</a>, who took to Twitter to praise his country’s “special military operation”.</p>
<p>By contrast, some Russian sports stars have voiced their <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-28/russian-athletes-against-war-in-ukraine-fifa-ioc-measures/100866956">disapproval of the war</a>, a perilous stance given this type of dissent is now deemed a crime – with some <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/03/22/more-than-15000-russians-have-been-arrested-in-anti-war-protests">15,000 Russian</a> people already arrested. </p>
<h2>Strings attached</h2>
<p>Countries opposed to Russia’s ongoing demolition of Ukraine have at this point relied on economic sanctions as a principal deterrent. Unfortunately, these measures hurt and harm <a href="https://theconversation.com/economic-sanctions-may-make-russians-lives-worse-without-stopping-putins-assault-on-ukraine-179623">ordinary Russians</a>.</p>
<p>Some critics argue that the West’s sanctions are <a href="https://www.cato.org/commentary/whataboutism-russias-attack-ukraine">hypocritical</a> considering American and allied military interventions in places like Iraq, or Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.</p>
<p>From that perspective, global sanctions ought to have been implemented against the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/07/us-sanctions-against-russia-but-not-israel">United States or Israel</a>, with flow-on <a href="https://www.digitaljournal.com/sports/arabs-denounce-double-standard-of-russia-sports-bans/article">implications for sport</a>. Discussions about Ukraine have, therefore, not only focused squarely on Russian imperialism and Putin’s fascism, but also the turpitude of the Washington-led “<a href="https://bostonreview.net/articles/what-rule-based-international-order/">rules-based order</a>”.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fifas-suspension-of-russia-is-a-rarity-but-one-that-strips-bare-the-idea-that-sport-can-be-apolitical-178131">FIFA's suspension of Russia is a rarity – but one that strips bare the idea that sport can be apolitical</a>
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<p>Whether the All England Club bans Russian players or accepts them as neutrals, it will have arrived at a decision in concert with the UK’s sports minister, at a time when Britain is supplying arms to Ukraine. </p>
<p>None of this is edifying.</p>
<p>Russian tennis players, if allowed to play, will be under enormous scrutiny both on and off the court. Would a win for Medvedev be a victory for Putin? Would the absence of Medvedev contribute to the anti-war effort?</p>
<p>In the middle of all this are athletes who, like ordinary Russians, may become – perhaps unfairly – the target of sanctions.</p>
<p>But war is the epitome of unfair.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179551/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 global angst against Putin has been so profound that sport has been compelled to come out behind its customary veil of ‘neutrality’ in political matters.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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Read more:
<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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<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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<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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<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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<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>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1487537719844564993"}"></div></p>
<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>
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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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<em>
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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>
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<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/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>
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<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>
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<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>
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<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/1749892022-01-14T16:36:32Z2022-01-14T16:36:32Z‘We’re entering unprecedented territory’: sports expert Q&A on what Djokovic row means for unvaccinated elite athletes<p><em>Tennis star Novak Djokovic is out of the <a href="https://ausopen.com">Australian Open</a> after the country’s immigration minister, Alex Hawke, cancelled his visa “on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so”. This follows an earlier quashing of the original decision by Border Force officials to cancel the Serbian player’s visa when he arrived in Australia because he didn’t have a COVID vaccination. Djokovic’s lawyers headed to court to seek an injunction against his deportation, which has now <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-australia-60001871">been dismissed</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Djokovic was seeking a tenth title at the event, as well as the world record for men’s Grand Slam wins. At the age of 34, it this makes it harder for him to now be able to fulfil his potential on the court before he retires.</em></p>
<p><em>At a time when multiple countries have been introducing restrictions on unvaccinated people, it raises questions about whether other sports stars will run into similar issues. We asked sports management expert Keith Parry about what the visa struggle might mean for sports stars and teams around the world.</em></p>
<p><strong>Will Djokovic’s visa saga have implications for other sports in Australia?</strong></p>
<p>Yes it will. Now they’ve set the precedent, I think we could see other players fall foul of this system when entering Australia. Clearly the federal government do not want unvaccinated players coming into Australia so it will deter some (unless they agree to isolate for two weeks).</p>
<p><strong>Are significant numbers of sports stars unvaccinated?</strong></p>
<p>In the US the public know if players are unvaccinated because of regulations there. For example the National Basketball Association has released a list of <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/list-vaccinated-unvaccinated-nba-players-ahead-season">unvaccinated players</a>. There’s no requirement to name players in the UK, but there’s been coverage about <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/unvaccinated-premiership-players-could-face-10-day-isolation-if-they-travel-to-france-for-european-clashes/ar-AASKCsa">Premier League footballers</a> not being vaccinated.</p>
<p><strong>What are other teams likely to do to avoid trouble?</strong></p>
<p>Liverpool FC manager Jürgen Klopp has said that he won’t sign an <a href="https://www.thisisanfield.com/2021/12/jurgen-klopp-confirms-liverpool-wont-sign-unvaccinated-players-its-a-real-mess/">unvaccinated player</a>. So there’s an implication for players’ livelihoods. Players who are unvaccinated may have limited choice not just in terms of where they can go and travel, but also in terms of the clubs that are prepared to sign them. So we’re entering unprecedented territory now. Other managers may follow Klopp’s lead. </p>
<p>Some managers will see the Djokovic decision as further evidence of the challenge that unvaccinated players pose to clubs. Another challenge for sport managers may be sponsors and partners, who may exert influence on athletes or teams if they have strong views on vaccinations. We see many sponsors end relationships with teams or players if they feel it is bad for their image.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/novak-djokovics-visa-cancelled-in-the-public-interest-with-possible-3-year-ban-from-australia-174968">Novak Djokovic's visa cancelled 'in the public interest', with possible 3-year ban from Australia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Teams and organisations will also now think carefully about where they play or host matches. Teams will pay even closer attention to the regulations in countries and ensure that they have sufficient time to meet the requirements for isolation or bubbles. Countries that have stricter rules may look less appealing in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Will sports stars worry about their statements on vaccines making a difference to them playing?</strong></p>
<p>Players are very affluent. They’re young and feel indestructible. But they may think twice now about what they say on <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/697968">social media</a> about vaccines. It will be interesting to see how athletes who refuse to be vaccinated are viewed. Will it tarnish Djokovic’s image or, as is often the case, will he be forgiven and the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2020.1733531">episode written</a> out of his story? </p>
<p><strong>Which countries with upcoming tournaments could be an issue in future?</strong></p>
<p>In Europe, Italy and Germany have <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/countries-making-covid-19-vaccines-mandatory-2021-08-16/">vaccine mandates</a> and so tournaments there, or European club competition matches in these countries, may present challenges. France just <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59977978">relaxed its travel rules</a> but unvaccinated players are still required to isolate for ten days. This may be an issue for the Six Nations rugby tournament this spring. </p>
<p>Different state rules around the US may be a challenge for athletes. Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, for instance, cannot play in New York because of <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/09/01/unvaccinated-nba-players-in-cities-with-local-requirements-nyc-sf-will-not-play-in-games/">its regulations</a>, but he can play in the team’s away matches in most other states. </p>
<p><strong>Is this a sign that sports stars can’t always get around the rules?</strong></p>
<p>In the past, organisations like international football association FIFA and the International Olympic Committee have operated outside of borders and outside of the rules. Often no one holds them accountable. Clearly these celebrities do expect to have preferential treatment. So this visa wrangle may be a bit of a shock. </p>
<p>Ordinary people have to go through immigration, fill in forms ourselves and follow the rules. But when you’re idolised by millions around the world, it’s very difficult to think that the rules apply to you. Sports heroes have crossed over into the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430430802591001">realm of celebrity</a> but there’s a need for athletes to uphold society’s values.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174989/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keith Parry 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>Australia’s decision to revoke Novak Djokovic’s visa is likely to have implications for worldwide sports teams.Keith Parry, Deputy Head Of Department in Department of Sport & Event Management, Bournemouth 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>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1481884227427717121"}"></div></p>
<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>
<figure class="align-center ">
<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">
<figcaption>
<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>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<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>
<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>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<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>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1480655410591944707"}"></div></p>
<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>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
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>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<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>
<figure class="align-center ">
<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">
<figcaption>
<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/1722612021-11-25T16:33:20Z2021-11-25T16:33:20Z#WhereisPengShuai: Totalitarianism, violence against women and an overdue Olympic boycott?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433301/original/file-20211122-15-raf961.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=26%2C8%2C5964%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The editor of a Communist Party newspaper posted a video online that he said showed missing tennis star Peng Shuai as the ruling party tried to quell fears abroad while suppressing information in China about Peng after she accused a senior leader of sexual assault. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual assault and rape.</em></p>
<p>On Nov. 2, 2021, Chinese tennis pro Peng Shuai took to Weibo — a Chinese microblogging site — to recount her alleged sexual assault at the hands of high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) member and former vice premier of China, Zhang Gaoli.</p>
<p>The post was removed after about 20 minutes and Peng’s <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-peng-shuai-zhang-gaoli-metoo/2021/11/03/79c0f308-3c4f-11ec-bd6f-da376f47304e_story.html">account was suspended</a>.</p>
<p>After an international outcry, Chinese state media released what they claim was an <a href="https://twitter.com/CGTNOfficial/status/1461025491842916358?s=20">email from Peng to Women’s Tennis Association CEO Steve Simon</a>, but the note’s <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/peng-shuai-naomi-osaka-joins-calls-answers-metoo-allegations-rcna5827">authenticity was questioned</a>.</p>
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<p>China Global Television Network, the state’s international media platform, said Peng wrote directly to Steve Simon but the <a href="https://safeguarddefenders.com/en/scripted-and-staged%22%22">email inexplicably addressed “everyone</a>.” In a screenshot of the letter, a cursor is visible, raising questions about <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenMcDonell/status/1461040454913437714?s=20">when and where this email originated</a>.</p>
<p>Simon himself doubted its authenticity. “Whether she was coerced into writing it, someone wrote it for her, we don’t know,” <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/18/china/wta-ceo-peng-shuai-steve-simon-intl-hnk/index.html">Simon told <em>CNN</em></a>. “But at this point I don’t think there’s any validity in it and we won’t be comfortable until we have a chance to speak with her.” </p>
<p>Chinese state media then released a few photos of Peng, heightening concerns that the tennis star is not, in fact, free. Those concerns seem to be widely shared, except for one glaring exception — the International Olympic Committee (IOC).</p>
<h2>The IOC and CCP are acting as one</h2>
<p>According to the <a href="https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/General/EN-Olympic-Charter.pdf?_ga=2.4482545.358704646.1637603417-1484801982.1626721502">Olympic Charter</a>, the IOC is supposed to be working toward a “peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity.” When push came to shove, however, the IOC rushed to the CCP’s defence, publicly accepting the regime’s email as proof that Peng was safe and free. IOC President Thomas Bach even <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/21/sport/peng-shuai-video-call-thomas-bach-spt-intl/index.html">participated in a video call</a> with Peng. </p>
<p>Since Nov. 2, Peng hasn’t been asked about the alleged sexual assault — as if it was erased from the narrative. As <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/ioc-call-with-chinese-tennis-star-peng-raises-more-questions-1.5675079">Yaqiu Wang of Human Rights Watch explained</a>, the IOC is now “actively playing a role in the Chinese government’s enforced disappearance, coercion and propaganda machinery.”</p>
<p>The IOC and CCP now appear to be acting as one. Any hope for the “preservation of human dignity” at the 2022 Beijing Olympics is gone.</p>
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<h2>Totalitarian China and violence against women</h2>
<p>Mao Tse Tung famously stated “women hold up half the sky,” but male domination <a href="https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Betraying_Big_Brother/_MctEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=patriarchy+and+chinese+communism&printsec=frontcover">has been the norm</a> in China. Its political system <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/10/china-xi-jinping-totalitarian-authoritarian-debate/">is totalitarian</a> and patriarchal, standing in stark opposition to the nation’s <a href="https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Betraying_Big_Brother/_MctEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=China+women+big+brother&printsec=frontcover">growing, and thoroughly suppressed, feminist movement</a>.</p>
<p>In China, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/24/605188107/chinese-women-face-rampant-gender-discrimination-from-employers-report-says">discrimination against women is rampant and institutionalized</a>. What Peng alleged she experienced is familiar to many Chinese women. </p>
<p>The CCP uses International Women’s Day as an opportunity to identify, harass and detain feminist activists. In 2015, a group of activists known as the Feminist Five — Li Maizi, Wu Rongrong, Zheng Churan, Wei Tingting and Wang Man — <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-to-release-three-of-five-womens-rights-activists-fate-of-two-unclear/2015/04/13/4c1195b2-e1e2-11e4-ae0f-f8c46aa8c3a4_story.html?itid=lk_inline_manual_22">were detained for 37 days</a> just for planning to give out anti-sexual harassment stickers on public transport during the event. </p>
<p>The social media accounts for <a href="https://www.cfr.org/event/feminist-voices-china-metoo-censorship">the group Feminist Voices</a> have also attracted the ire of the CCP. In 2015, Feminist Voices launched a campaign protesting China’s annual Spring Festival Gala on Chinese Central Television, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/02/25/chinas-feminists-stand-up-against-misogynistic-tv-gala/">securing 1,300 signatures</a> before being censored. </p>
<p>On March 8, 2018 — again on International Women’s Day — Feminist Voices <a href="https://hongkongfp.com/2018/03/09/prominent-chinese-feminist-social-media-account-censored-international-womens-day/">was banned from Weibo</a>. A similar ban was <a href="https://hongkongfp.com/2018/03/09/prominent-chinese-feminist-social-media-account-censored-international-womens-day/">carried out by WeChat</a> the following day.</p>
<p>In Xinjiang, where Muslim women are held for so-called “re-education,” rape remains a common means of torture and coercion. Tursunay Ziawudun, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55794071">who spent nine months in a camp there</a>, told the <em>BBC</em> that “women were removed from the cells ‘every night’ and raped by one or more masked Chinese men.” </p>
<p>This has been verified by former camp physician and teacher Sayragul Sauytbay, who told reporters that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55794071">guards rape women in full view of other detainees</a> in hopes of coercing confessions.</p>
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<img alt="A woman stands holding her child in front of a blown-up, flipped-over car" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433300/original/file-20211122-27-1mkwg23.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433300/original/file-20211122-27-1mkwg23.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/433300/original/file-20211122-27-1mkwg23.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/433300/original/file-20211122-27-1mkwg23.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/433300/original/file-20211122-27-1mkwg23.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/433300/original/file-20211122-27-1mkwg23.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=529&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/433300/original/file-20211122-27-1mkwg23.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=529&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">A Uyghur woman and child walk past a burned car following riots in Urumqi, western China’s Xinjiang province in July 2009. One million Uyghur, Kazakhs and other Muslims are estimated to be held in heavily guarded internment camps, also called ‘re-education’ camps, which the Chinese government describes as vocational training centres.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)</span></span>
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<h2>It’s time for the governments to take action</h2>
<p>It is morally and politically wrong to let Beijing host the Olympic Games. Silence is complicity, but endorsement — by actually sending athletes to the Games — is something much worse. </p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/1461408866697105413?s=20">Serena Williams</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/naomiosaka/status/1460723353174433793?s=20">Naomi Osaka</a> and many other high-profile athletes are speaking out in support of Peng, but they need the backing of world governments to help prevent what stands to be the worst case of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-repressive-states-and-governments-use-sportswashing-to-remove-stains-on-their-reputation-100395">sport-washing human rights violations</a> since <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nazi-olympics-berlin-1936">the Nazis hosted the 1936 Berlin Olympics</a>. </p>
<p>To many human rights activists, the disappearance of Peng further underlines the need for an international boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The CCP’s assaults on democracy activists in China and Hong Kong deserve more than wilful blindness.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172261/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>The disappearance of Peng further underlines the need for an international boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The CCP’s assaults on democracy activists deserve more than willful blindness.MacIntosh Ross, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, Western UniversityBiao Teng, Pozen Visiting Professor, University of ChicagoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.