Tennis and Politics have always had a rough relationship. Political affairs have prevented professional tennis players from competing because of the state of their country.
In 1964, anti-apartheid demonstrators (people who opposed racial oppression in South Africa) tried to stop a Davis Cup match featuring Eric Drysdale, a native South African, versus Norway in Oslo, Norway.
18-time major female singles winner Martina Navratilova left her country Czech because of the then-communist government that controlled her finances, doubles partner, and travel visas. Her decision to leave her country is still questioned and brought up by many. “I’ll never get it off my back,” she told the New York Times. “It’ll always be there. Always. I think 20 years from now they’ll still ask, ‘Why did you do it?”
This year alone, tennis has been entangled in three international incidents.
On Sunday, January 16, former men’s number one Novak Djokovic was deported on the eve of the Australian Open because he did not take the Covid vaccination.
In November, the Women’s Tennis Association canceled all tournaments in China because female tennis player Peng Shuai made accusations that she was sexually assaulted by a high-ranking government official. Later, Peng Shuai seemed to have disappeared from the public, and protesters that were allowed in the Australian Open courts wore shirts that asked, “Where is Peng Shuai?”
Now, Wimbledon has made the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players because of the war in Ukraine. Players ranked in the top 50s: Russians Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Aslan Karatsev, and the Belarusian Ilya Ivashka are all the players unable to compete.
In women’s tennis, 13 players that qualified for Wimbledon will not be playing, including the Russians Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Belarusians Aryna Sabalenka, and Victoria Azarenka, a former world No. 1.
“Our sport is always going to be subjected to political forces, ” said Drysdale, an ESPN commentator since the network’s inception in 1979. “There’s always something coming around the corner and rearing its head.”
Sources:
Teen tennis star Navratilova seeks political asylum in U.S. – HISTORY
Once Again, Tennis Is Disrupted by Politics – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Let’s Talk Tennis, and Politics – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
In 1964, anti-apartheid demonstrators (people who opposed racial oppression in South Africa) tried to stop a Davis Cup match featuring Eric Drysdale, a native South African, versus Norway in Oslo, Norway.
18-time major female singles winner Martina Navratilova left her country Czech because of the then-communist government that controlled her finances, doubles partner, and travel visas. Her decision to leave her country is still questioned and brought up by many. “I’ll never get it off my back,” she told the New York Times. “It’ll always be there. Always. I think 20 years from now they’ll still ask, ‘Why did you do it?”
This year alone, tennis has been entangled in three international incidents.
On Sunday, January 16, former men’s number one Novak Djokovic was deported on the eve of the Australian Open because he did not take the Covid vaccination.
In November, the Women’s Tennis Association canceled all tournaments in China because female tennis player Peng Shuai made accusations that she was sexually assaulted by a high-ranking government official. Later, Peng Shuai seemed to have disappeared from the public, and protesters that were allowed in the Australian Open courts wore shirts that asked, “Where is Peng Shuai?”
Now, Wimbledon has made the decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players because of the war in Ukraine. Players ranked in the top 50s: Russians Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Aslan Karatsev, and the Belarusian Ilya Ivashka are all the players unable to compete.
In women’s tennis, 13 players that qualified for Wimbledon will not be playing, including the Russians Daria Kasatkina, Veronika Kudermetova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Belarusians Aryna Sabalenka, and Victoria Azarenka, a former world No. 1.
“Our sport is always going to be subjected to political forces, ” said Drysdale, an ESPN commentator since the network’s inception in 1979. “There’s always something coming around the corner and rearing its head.”
Sources:
Teen tennis star Navratilova seeks political asylum in U.S. – HISTORY
Once Again, Tennis Is Disrupted by Politics – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
Let’s Talk Tennis, and Politics – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
