Professional tennis abhors unattractive women.
Sponsors, officials and media all sensationalize and seek out the most appealing players while subtly shunning those who are overweight, plain or in any other way objectionable to the camera’s eye…all part of a never-ending campaign to attract viewers and advertisers to the sport.
The continuing saga of unspoken preoccupation with physical appearance skews the focus of the sport and detracts from what should be a purely athletic contest. The consequences are all too obvious.
Can you name any ugly players on tour? There are probably some who suffer from an unfortunate physical presence; but we seldom see them because they are usually weeded out by a natural selection process.
Just as in real life, young players who are pretty move to the front of the line. They are coaxed, coached, and coddled. Yes, they are also talented. Playing professional tennis on the women’s tour requires outstanding athletic skills.
But there were other young women along the way with equal athletic ability who were not selected, not coached and never promoted because they didn’t measure up on the bodacious scale.
Be honest: when you watch Maria Sharapova playing tennis, do you concentrate on her game or her fabulous looks?
When you watch a WTA match, does your gaze follow the tennis ball back and forth across the net during scintillating rallies or do you find yourself daydreaming about the form filling out the tennis dress?
Male players are also the subject of fan fantasies. But women are under more pressure because their court presence is generally weaker and their game less compelling—with rare exceptions.
Another wrinkle applied to this standard—Serena Williams is a powerful athlete. She could probably bench press a Jeep if she put her mind to it.
But that is the point; she doesn’t put her mind to it. Her priority is looking good on the court—not only as an athlete but as a wannabe actress or movie star.
She is a product of modern culture-trying to keep her feet firmly planted in two equally compelling and demanding worlds.
On court, she sports myriad jewelry-baubles, bangles and beads. It has got to be distracting, getting whacked in the face by a dangling four-inch earring as you're trying to run down a cross-court or down-the-line passing shot.
While respecting her individuality, there must be clothing more comfortable to wear playing tennis than those eye-popping concoctions she selects. Sometimes it looks like she is exploding out of her tennis dress.
Why not wear some oversized T-shirt and loose shorts? We all like to look good, but she never looks at ease in her clothes.
Announcers decry being overweight as a major failing. If they happen to cover a match with a plump teenager, they assure audiences that the young woman needs to attend to her training. Granted, getting in shape is important.
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about 1 month ago
comments a bit later -edited it to get it out of the production line .... how (if you dont mind me saying) effin, refreshing to read something well thought out ....
i have number of for and against's .... later - picked it for i loved it
from about 1 month ago
This was a tough one - I feel like I circled the field 1000 times and still landed on my foot! Not sure that it does what I intended...glad you found some things you liked about it.
I am worried about Madrid and about Stepanek...I am a tortured soul. thanks jaa
about 1 month ago
you gave me an idea i wanted to out down for a long time - cheers
from about 1 month ago
Good - I like being inspirational...jaa
about 1 month ago
Hi JA - Really liked this one. True to an extent. But not necessarily remarkable in another. Another hurdle for women playing professional sports. Can we ever overcome human nature is the real question and I don't think so...good thought piece. maggie
about 1 month ago
My feeling is that nobody really ever talks about the elephant in the room and what impact it is having on the women's game. Then I discovered why they weren't talking about it--because it is hard to define and pin down...thanks for your comments! jaa
about 1 month ago
arghhh - a 3 hours macro-econometrics session on a sunday - was fun
so here goes -
first of all - very novel - and different,. i love reading something that makes me think
She could probably bench press a jeep if she put her mind to it - ROTFL - ha ha ha ha
getting whacked in the face by a dangling 4 inch earring as your trying to run down a cross-court or down-the-line passing shot. - YES, true
bodacious - learned a new word
The majority of women playing tennis feel the compulsion to be attractive first and winners second - i have to disagree
Not every female on tour poses for Playboy, but they all play for the camera, for the photo - no, have to disagree again
you know why I adore MA-SHA - besides the fact that shes a gorgeous tall 6' something blonde ...
the girl would die on court to win JAA - everytime i see her, i hardly think she plays to the gallery, when she is cornered, she wants to do nothing but win
i mean come on - you dont win all the slams (but french) if you play to the gallery
and i think the only reason why the RENA hasnt burnt out is cos she has other things to do in life, tennis is the core, but she has other things
hence - can hardly blame her ... i think it has helped her
loved it - cheers
from about 1 month ago
Yes - Sharapova is a fighter. I think she has ruined her shoulder, however, with her serving motion...I still believe that her other career distracts her--but my opinion only. I hope she is able to return to tennis and that finds a way to serve that doesn't hurt her!
The women's game really needs her! jaa
about 1 month ago
I suppose so. So? What will change? How? What solutions? Wear masks and robes? I don't know. Excellent writing - thought provoking.
from about 1 month ago
I am not sure--really. I just feel it is an issue that needs to be addressed. Maybe not? It is a WTA matter when it endangers a career. Maybe stricter rules on age, weight, etc. I think that is the aspect we need to concern ourselves about...health and longevity. thanks! jaa
about 1 month ago
this was a very thought-provoking piece and well-written as usual. i definitely agree with the idea that women face more pressure than men to look good, and the weight thing! yes, it is certainly talked about when the females appear to have (what is deemed to be) too much weight. (Although David Nalbandian gets it pretty good too!)
yes, Sharapova is known to many as a tall blonde beauty first and a tennis great second, but I do see her as a fierce competitor going for the win, too.
I agree that looks and and little dresses draw some needed viewership for women's tennis because the women's game isn't generally as compelling as the men's. Maybe that's o.k. - the women do earn equal pay (don't they?)
from about 1 month ago
HA HA - yeah cos Nalby shoves them in butter pies every christmas break - and he also had domino's number in argentina on speed dial i heard
but this is the time of the season in which is CORPULENT dormant self comes into life ... watch for nalby
from about 1 month ago
Hey Ivy - thanks for the comments. It is difficult to bring such a large and perhaps controversial topic into perspective--in a short article. I am sure there are many other points of view about the state of women's tennis! jaa
from about 1 month ago
Hi Ivy - early morning here and I accidently posted my response to your comment under the next name down! Sorry - read below! jaa
about 1 month ago
DUDE - you made the fronts again - its becoming a habit now hah
from about 1 month ago
Sorry - I kept trying to respond to Ivy and it kept posting it on your comments! I did think about Nalbandian as I wrote the article but no room to reference him without adding another paragraph! I am always surprised to tune in and find my article on the front page! It is a great sign on a Monday morning! jaa
about 1 month ago
good article but I don't think they get picked and promoted just cause they are good looking. Sometimes God is a bit unfair; he/she bestows upon those the athletics and the looks. They seem to come hand in hand sometimes. Look at the mens: Nadal, Roddick, Safin, Federer - not ugly. Women, as mentioned in the article - athletic and good looking: Sharapova, Ivanovic, Williams. I think the only woman that really couldn't back up her looks was Kournikova. Everybody else that has come along has showed game. But to me, Kournikova will always be the hottest! heh heh
Steffi Graf, Gabriela Sabitini - they were not bad looking either. It's just been more pronounced recently - I don't know why, maybe there is more of a talent pool due to the fact that tennis is becoming more and more lucrative. Bigger pool, survival of the fittest - fittest are also sometimes hotteest!!
Happens in other sports too. The great players, men and women Ali, Jordan, Kobe. These aren't ugly specimens. Their looks comes with the greatness, it's part of being an alpha male and female. Sports is all about body - you're gonna get some good looking bodies: women's tennis just happens to attract the specimens a large part of society deems good looking!
I should probably start a new article by this time, but the style of sport it is (cardio based, a little bit of muscle) means the women that EXCEL at it are going to be quite good looking. We're not talking about shot put here or olympic wrestling.
Anyways, good article....but I think it's okay that they good looking, as long as they keep the class. Tennis will always be a classy sport. I don't think anyone has looked tarty yet - the moment that happens, then something really needs to change.
about 1 month ago
Excellent points, all. It is a controversial topic, I agree. I still feel that those women not quite as attractive get the short shrift...but it is all perspective, mine in this case. Thanks for all your comments! jaa
about 1 month ago
Excellent writing. Great topic! Sexism in sports exists and it is too bad. I love Serena, though, she is my favorite player and I understand why she she is looking beyond tennis. I hope she finds a great career once she hangs up her racket. h solo
from about 1 month ago
Hi h,
So glad you liked it! I like Venus! She has so much class...great tennis player, too. jaa
about 1 month ago
Your work here is outstanding, some of the better I've seen here.
I confess that I rarely pay heed to tennis in general and had no clue as to the previously famous...no, infamous, Anna K what's her name until after she quit competing and I hit a GQ piece on her.
However I don't feel the subject matter is debatable. You're going on against millions of years of human development and 100+ years of camera work.
Is this truly sexist or natural? Are you meaning that if MS stopped playing to the cameras she'd grow into a couch potato naturally? Venus would become a slovenly DJ in the Village? I don't think so.
Being as attractive as possible is as old as racism and when you're graced with the slightest advantage you take it and run with it. Pretty people win...easier.
Tribalism is the foundation of mankind as is mating upward. It's instinctive.
from about 1 month ago
What I really wanted to write about was Beach Volleyball - which to me represents blatant sexism - but no where to write about that...so I equated it to women's tennis. I could not believe how much time the Olympics spent on Beach Volleyball! There were good athletes playing but bikinis?? I did not see men in Speedos. It is much like synchronized swimming.
Still - marketing is part of our world and women in athletics will never be regarded in the same vein as men...they need that edge to be relevant--beauty. Worth a stab, I thought. Long was looking for something, he said, on women's tennis. Shame, really...jaa
about 1 month ago
Oh, no, it's an excellent piece and we need Women's Tennis work terribly much.
I was trying to throw some debate material in for commentary...pumpin' up the reads and all.
Beach Volleyball has always been played in that type of uniform, I think it's a choice. I didn't really notice that it was sexist or revealing...I only caught the last two rounds though.
The men's wear was rather skimpy too. I think it's about comfort, local and flexibility. Beach=Skimpy.
Of course...I'm old and have seen my share of skin...jaded perhaps.
about 1 month ago
"While respecting her individuality, there must be clothing more comfortable to wear playing tennis than those eye-popping concoctions she selects. Sometimes it looks like she is exploding out of her tennis dress. "
I cannot agree with you more. It is hard to watch her matches with my kids around. I just wish some one tells her that.
Far worse than Serena's dress to me are the disingenuous commentators who have nothing but unrestrained praise for anything Serena does, and unending excuses for her even when she is outplayed by a better player on a given day. Who are the tennis fans who enjoy listening to this non-sense I wonder!
from about 1 month ago
I just feel she could play better in more comfortable clothing!! I cannot imagine how she does it! She is a terrific athlete but I do enjoy watching Venus better! I also like Dinara. Too bad Henin retired...jaa
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