Tennis business

I don’t typically blog about sport, I have in the past blogged about business and there’s also been a time when I’ve blogged politically. This post is about tennis, it touches business and it may, from my point of view, be political.

It’s Wimbledon fortnight and whereas in years gone my it would be the time for rain and speculation about which rising UK star might progress in the tournament, this year it looks like it’ll be sunny throughout on the one hand with little hope on the other.

It’s a tournament you qualify for but to keep it interesting the organisers have a number of ‘wild cards’ which they can award to players who haven’t qualified but who they consider are deserving of entry. I’d imagine these might include current players of some standing who’ve not for some reason competed in enough qualifying events, young up and coming players (especially Brits) or those at the ends of their playing careers who deserve a thank you and good bye.

This year in its wisdom the organising committee awarded a wild card to Serena Williams who to my knowledge meets none of those three criteria. She retired four years ago when she got a good thank you and good bye. But she made it clear that she wanted to play and the committee said yes mindful I’m sure of her box office appeal and its impact on revenues. That’s disappointing, Wimbledon is a big fat cash cow anyway and by so doing they deprived a more deserving player of an opportunity. The world is too full of older people hanging on and limiting options for younger ones.

And so it was that on Tuesday evening we saw Serena turn out to play Maya Joint, a young Australian going through a bad patch. I was pretty sure whom I’d support but Adrian Chiles neatly summarises why he backed Maya as well:

When I was a kid, it was about looking up to adults in awe. Back then they were old enough to be my parents. I so wanted the best for them. Now the athletes are young enough to be my children or even grandchildren, and it’s even worse – because I feel protective towards them. I was at Wimbledon this week and witnessed the return of the great Serena Williams, which was quite something. But as soon as I saw her opponent, pale and slight with a fearful air about her, I knew I was in trouble.

I’d never heard of Maya Joint until she walked out on court, but as soon as I read that she had lost 15 of her last 18 matches, I wanted her to win more than anything else in the world. When she took the first set, I went home because I couldn’t bear to see her throw the lead away, only to then watch the rest of the match on my phone on the train. And she won. If I’d stuck around, she probably wouldn’t have done. I hope she appreciates the part I played in her triumph.

I did my bit too but wouldn’t it have been a tragedy if Maya would have chalked up loss number 16 just so that Wimbledon could earn more money and Serena Williams satisfy her own ego?

On the other side of this wild card coin this year was Dan Evans. Dan is UK tennis’ street fighter. In a fight you’d want him on your side. He’s had his ups and downs, he’s been a regular member of the David Cup team but he’s never really won big. And as it says on the BBC web-site ‘Evans’ outspoken nature has tended to annoy those in positions of power – and was perhaps one of the reasons why he did not receive a Wimbledon singles wildcard‘.

That’s a pity because he meets criterion number three and you’d think Wimbledon could be a bit bigger that that.

So all in all not a great example set by Wimbledon. Too obsessed with celebrity on the one hand and insufficiently gracious on the other.