The little round ball game...Serena and sexism

[Lat-Literal]

For anyone who's still interested in this there's an excellent piece in today's Sunday Times by Marina Navratilova. It first appeared in the New York Times.

Martina focusses on gender and provides a balanced, and suitably critical, analysis. Well done to her and not unexpected. Race was also brought up. This is exactly in the domain of those of us who call for a shift from identity politics to an addressing of economic inequalities. It is overdue that mega rich people of ethnicity of which there are many embrace that fact, recognise that they are a part of the elite which the majority of us will never be, and be the role models their talent and endeavours deserve rather than playing all injured and tiny.

She has come through pregnancy and, as anyone else in that position would be, is adapting to motherhood. No doubt at times it is testing. But there is arguably wrong wiring. Umpires cannot be ordered by parents in learning. The family background. Well, we know the background. She hasn't become a Jackson or a Wilson. The era of birth is different and there is a huge cultural strand in what was displayed. It is - or was - of its time. She has had a remarkable career but now needs to find where the apt sizes are. Hero in the arena. Second fiddle to the child. Second to the umpire in the game. Able to tell the child what is wrong and what is right. Yes, of course, a lot of it is contradictory but then so is life. At any rate, even in the game itself, she will at her time in life need to be preparing for some significant shrinkage. I'm sure all the friendships with politicians and royalty can more than make up for any loss.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/opinion/martina-navratilova-serena-williams-us-open.html

Maria Bueno RIP - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...bueno-obituary

11 October 1939 - 8 June 2018

[Richard Tarleton]

Maria Bueno RIP - https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...bueno-obituary

11 October 1939 - 8 June 2018

Indeed, a lovely player, even if my memories of her are based on blurry black and white TV. Deep background: shortly after her great victory over Margaret Court (boo hiss) in 1964, she went to see the Shirley Maclaine film What A Way To Go, in Leicester Square. I only remember this utterly useless and random information because my mother and I went to it around the same time .

[cloughie]

For the record, my favourite non white women tennis players have always been Maria Bueno and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley.

I agree, and they just got on with the business of playing good tennis, no diva tactics, no umpire baiting!

[french frank]

I agree, and they just got on with the business of playing good tennis, no diva tactics, no umpire baiting!

Bueno and the first black woman Wimbledon winner, Althea Gibson, were playing before the arrival of Open Tennis (1968). Goolagong was right at the beginning (early 70s).

[Richard Tarleton]

For the record, my favourite non white women tennis players have always been Maria Bueno and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley.

On a point of order, Lat, why do you classify Maria Bueno as "non white" - or to put it another way, how would you define "non white" in this context? She was Brazilian, of presumably Portuguese descent. Just curious . Many great Latin American/Hispanic tennis players - I always enjoyed watching the doubles partnership of Osuna and Palafox (Mexican).

[Lat-Literal]

On a point of order, Lat, why do you classify Maria Bueno as "non white" - or to put it another way, how would you define "non white" in this context? She was Brazilian, of presumably Portuguese descent. Just curious . Many great Latin American/Hispanic tennis players - I always enjoyed watching the doubles partnership of Osuna and Palafox (Mexican).

That's a fair question to which I don't have a clear cut answer but I think I would say that in her era most women tennis players were from the white Commonwealth or America.

Bueno and the first black woman Wimbledon winner, Althea Gibson, were playing before the arrival of Open Tennis (1968). Goolagong was right at the beginning (early 70s).

Althea Gibson is a good call.

One could add Zina Garrison.

I would also be tempted to include Rosie Casals who was of El Salvadorian heritage.