Whether on the tennis court or in the programming of matches, the players must show a lot of “self-control” in the face of ambient sexism.
The legendary Roland-Garros tennis tournament kicked off on Sunday, May 30, 2021. A competition watched by millions of viewers. But behind the tenacity of the champions who fight long hours on the court and the majesty of their game always hides a real sexism that the players must understand. Despite changes, great differences still remain between men and women.
Naomi Osaka and the “predatory” press conferences
This Monday, May 31, 2021 on social networks, the player Naomi Osaka, world number two, decided to withdraw from Roland-Garros after announcing her boycott of the media for her mental health. “Hi everyone, this is a situation that I had not imagined nor looked for when I tweeted the other day. I think the best thing for the tournament, the other players and my well being is that I withdraws (from the tournament) so that everyone can refocus on tennis “, she wrote. The young woman was sanctioned, Sunday, May 30, 2021, with a fine of $ 15,000 (or 12,300 euros) for refusing to attend a press conference and risked disqualification in the event of a repeat offense.
An editorial in the Guardian looked into this matter and stated that “Young athletes must answer the most intimate questions in a cynical and often predatory environment. (…) Gossip: good. Anger: good. Quarrels: good. Tears: good. Personal tragedy: good. During this time, the young athlete, often still overcome by the emotion of victory or defeat, is supposed to answer the most intimate questions in the least intimate setting, in front of an audience of strangers and supported by a sponsored piece of cardboard. ” A american study from Cornell University (New York State) in 2016 found that sports journalists ask female players more about unrelated sports than their male counterparts. Looking at interviews with 167 tennis players and 191 tennis players, between 2000 and 2015, researchers noticed that keywords kept coming up like “father “,” mother “or” love “ in the questions asked to sportswomen.
A shameful lineup for two ladies semi-finals
In 2019, former champion Amélie Mauresmo denounced on her Twitter the exceptional programming of the two ladies semi-finals. “The programming of the women’s semi-finals tomorrow (Friday) at Roland Garros is a shame for our tournament! Everyone agrees that the match of the day is Federer / Nadal. But what message are we sending in taking the decision to put the two women’s semi-finals at eleven o’clock on courts 2 and 3 of the stadium? No women’s game at the Central! It was easy to open Lenglen in addition to Chatrier and do both matches women at one o’clock, followed by the two men’s matches“, she declared on June 6, 2019. Usually, these semi-finals are played on Thursday afternoon on Philippe-Chatrier court, but they have been exceptionally postponed to Friday.
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Novak Djokovic forgets that women are champions too
Novak Djokovic had indulged in a small comment after his defeat against Rafael Nadal in 2020. A sentence that did not go unnoticed. “I have faced Rafa more than any other player in my professional career. Our rivalry is the biggest in the history of the discipline. He is without a doubt my biggest rival”, did he declare. The two men faced each other for the 56th time. What Chris Evert, winner of 18 Grand Slam titles, reacted on social networks by recalling how many times she had faced Martina Navratilova in the 1970s and 1980s. “Yes, that’s right… in men’s tennis… Martina and I have faced each other 80 times”, launched the American champion. By adding : “When will men think before they tweet big sentences that still erase women? “
Serena Williams and her looks criticized
Serena Williams has been attacked for years by sexist comments during various competitions. Her looks have always been more interested than her performances. In 2018, the tight-fitting combination she wore at Roland Garros was controversial. In an interview with “Tennis Magazine”, relayed by The team, the president of the French Federation, Bernard Giudicelli explained that “this outfit will no longer be accepted” at Roland Garros, because “you have to respect the game and the place. Everyone wants to enjoy this setting”. Former player and feminist activist Billie Jean King then tweeted in response: “Watching women’s bodies must stop. The ‘respect’ needed is for the exceptional talent Serena Williams brings to the game. Criticizing what she wears at work is the real disrespect.”
Her sister, Venus, for her part affirmed her commitment to equality between men and women in a letter published by American Vogue, in March 2021.“I firmly believe that sport reflects life and that life reflects sport. The lack of equality and equal opportunity in tennis is a symptom of the obstacles women face around the world,” she indicated. “It wasn’t until 2007, when I became a four-time Wimbledon champion, that I received the same award as my male counterparts – the first woman to do so. It was a long and winding road, and it took 39 years for women to get equal prize money, more than two years of campaigning with the WTA and an opinion piece in the Times to get there. But now we have equal pay in tennis at major tournaments and common Masters 1000 – real equality “, Venus added.
Celine Peschard
Journalist who loves the versatility that his profession can offer. Specialized in the historical field, social subjects and author films, against a background of electronic music. University curriculum based on …