fault in tennis

Even as a real war breaks out, tennis seems to be at war in itself. The recent Wimbledon row has opened a wide crack in an already fragmented sport. Removal of ranking points at Wimbledon The banning of Russian and Belarusian players by tennis tour operators is a scathing rebuke for the indolence displayed by the oldest slam. Reports have now surfaced that the All England Club may take the issue to court. Such a move would lead to a deep disharmony that sits at the core of the game.

As political experts grapple with the ethical questions about whether citizens (in this case, players) should be punished for the actions of a state, tennis fans wonder whether this fiasco could have been avoided if there had been better communication. .

manor in an empire

Infighting in tennis is nothing new. Players and tournament organizers have consistently raised disagreements over issues such as prize money and sports schedules. But there are constant battles going on in the upper regions as well. The power struggle is partly due to the lack of a cohesive organizational structure. Instead of one broad governing body, there are seven major powers: the International Tennis Federation (ITF); ATP (for men) and WTA (for women); and four Grand Slams. And in this vast empire there are other fiefdoms, such as the National Tennis Federation, which can exercise power at will. In the case of Wimbledon, each has its own interests in laying out the archaic traditions to preserve. The communication channels between them have been awkward at best and belligerent at worst. As former ATP president Etienne de Villiers once said, “Everybody trusts everybody.”

Majors have a history of acting unilaterally, without consulting the Tour or the players. The most recent example of this came in the middle of the pandemic in 2020, at a time when organizers and stakeholders were expected to work together. The French Tennis Federation decided to postpone the French Open from the normal May-June schedule to October, only two weeks after the US Open, without consulting other slams or tours. Players were pushed into a chaotic autumn season. This was one case when one body single-handedly turned the tennis calendar on its head.

There have been rare cases of slams on the United Front as well. When former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka decided to boycott the press conference at Roland-Garros last year, Grand Slam organizers warned her of fines and suspension. This decision was taken to protect his own purse, that is another matter.

The ATP and WTA have also gone solo on several occasions. Most notably, when tennis star Peng Shuai disappeared following explosive sexual assault revelations against Chinese Communist Party officials, the ATP expressed concern, but refrained from joining the WTA in postponing the tournament in China. . The idea of ​​merging tours by the likes of Roger Federer and Billie Jean King never came to fruition.

fight the good fight

At this point, when the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no sign of ending, the powers that be in tennis find themselves with one question: How do you convince the world that you are fighting the good fight, especially when There is little evidence to prove that measures like sports bans do anything to affect warfare? This question is particularly relevant in tennis, where patriotic sentiments rarely have any effect and fans are less attracted to players because of the boxing flag next to their name and more because of how they play the game and themselves. on and off the court.

editorial | Myopic View: On Sports and Politics

Living in sync can be a possible first step. Reuters reported in 2021 that a ‘T7 working group’ comprising seven governing bodies had been set up to examine areas such as a unified calendar, shared commercial offerings, sponsorships and TV deals. The fact that such a group exists is an achievement in itself, but there is no better time than now to strengthen it. In addition to trying to fix the economics of the game, the group would do well to focus on other pressing matters as well.

Perhaps tennis also needs a director or commissioner who can solicit feedback from all stakeholders and formulate an action plan during a crisis like the one it is facing now.

The foundation of tennis was laid more than a century ago. The sport has always prided itself on being progressive. The with or against us stance maintained by the top order only pushes it backwards. Now it needs more cooperation and less animosity. As Center Court in SW19 celebrates its centenary at the current residence, the play has to take place strictly on the court.

Preeti Ramamurthy, formerly with The Hindu, is a journalist based in Bengaluru