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Wimbledon serves up sexism
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Above Ana Ivanovic one of the attractive Centre Court players.
Below Serena Williams women's 2009 Wimbledon champion.
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The world's oldest and arguably most prestigious tennis tournament has also proven to be the most sexist.
The 123rd Championship at the All-England Club proved to be a historic occasion not only for Roger Federer's record-breaking 15th Grand Slam victory but also for its open discrimination towards its female competitors. As the tournament unfolded, it was revealed that the event organizers had chosen women they felt were more attractive to play on centre court in favor of the some of world's top competitors.
The revelation quickly gripped the global media coverage and questions of the tournament officials' motives began to arise. Was this merely a marketing ploy? Or a desperate attempt to save waning public interest in women's tennis?
But perhaps, what arose as the most shocking turn, was that the sports world (particularly sports writers) embraced rather than condemned these actions. ESPN reporter L.Z. Granderson stated that he didn't "see the harm" and that he found the officials' honesty "quite refreshing." And following the tournament's conclusion, Fox Sports contributer Jason Whitlock slammed women's champion Serena Williams' fitness conditioning mocking her "size 16 shorts" stating that "when she's in shape, she's every bit as sexy as Beyonce."
Not only is the tournament's (and these sports writers) blatant sexism an affront to the athleticism of the competitors, but it also brings up questions of our concept of beauty. When Eastern European mostly blonde, slender women are singled out as being "more beautiful/sexy/hot," and Dinara Safina and Serena Williams, the number 1 and 2 players in the world are placed on Court 2. I cannot help but wonder what message this is sending to young women throughout the world? The majority of whom are neither tall, slender, nor blonde.
What 2009 Wimbledon's pretty-gate revealed is that tennis has long had its contradictions. For a sport that became such a trailbrazer in womens rights, gay rights, and civil rights producing star athletes such as Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and Althea Gibson. It also produced Anna Kournikova who became the very attractive face of women's tennis although she retired without winning even one singles title.
This most recent scandal proves yet again that although sports often acts an agent of change, it is a reflection our society. One deeply rooted in patriarchy and superficiality.
