Quick, name this profession: long, slim, toned bodies poured into tight fitting – but adorable! – clothing and jumping around in front of a bevy of overeager photographers, magazine editors, and camera crews. Oh yeah, and there’s a lot of “grunting” involved (oh, the scandal!).
Did you say modeling? Actually, it’s tennis.
With East European beauties such as Maria Sharapova, Anna Kournikova and Elena Dementieva ruling the press coverage of the sport, one would think they must also be ruling the courts. Not so, say many tennis insiders. Often the best courts and play slots (and hence the better media coverage) are given to the women who are better lookers rather than the ones who are better players. This is even true at the venerable Wimbeldon tournament where officials admitted last night to putting the prettiest female players on the famous center court even if that means relegating the uglier-but-higher-seeded women to the new auxiliary courts. Wimbeldon spokesman Johnny Perkins said unapologetically, “Good looks are a factor.” Observe:
Never having played tennis outside some embarrassing weekend recreations that we won’t discuss, I have no idea if being moved to another court or being told flat out by officials that you are homely would affect one’s game. Venus and Serena Williams seem to be pretty indomitable despite being stuck out in the hinterlands (I know! They’re gorgeous, right?) but if it were me, I think it would mess with my head and probably my game too.
On the flip side, it also makes me wonder if the “pretty” center court girls worry more about which custom Nike tennis dress they will be wearing than if their backhand is stellar. Or, even worse, that they might avoid lifting weights or training hard because they don’t want to “bulk up” and look more like the muscular athletes they are than catwalk models.
Of course no similar trend has been noticed among the men. Apparently the tennis officials are just giving the people want they want – and they think we would rather see pretty-but-weaker-players rather than the strong athletes that would show the best athletic competitions.
The question is, are they right? Do you watch tennis for the cute miniskirts and pom-pom socks? (And if so, you’ve heard of competitive cheerleading, right?) Any of you out there tennis players? Is an overemphasis on looks, like found in ballet and gymnastics, a big part of tennis?
That is just gross. If I am going to watch televised sports I want to see the good people play.
And the Williams sisters are not hot? On what planet?
Lol sounds ok to me
Lol sounds ok to me Serina or venus are not good eye candy lol.
I guess maybe the planet you live on. They have been taking steroids since an early age thats why they look like a bunch of guys. They maybe transexuals and have unfair advantage on other female players. Yes they are considered below average looking.
If the Williams sisters are unattractive, then I'm the next Wimbledon champion!!!! And given my hate/hate relationship with playing tennis (after being forced to for YEARS and sucking at it), you can pretty much bet that's not gonna happen.
I guess this kind of hearkens back to the days of Kris Evert and Billie Jean King: BJK was the better player, but KE was blond, younger, and dating Jimmy Connors, so she got the publicity, the endorsement deals, etc.
But People wanted to see BJK play, because she was AMAZING. Just like Venus and Serena; I'd rather watch those two play than pretty much anyone else. (And being pretty didn't help Anna Kournikova win any titles!) Professional tennis should be ashamed of itself.
As despicable as it is to give players a court assignment according to their looks and not their proficiency, I can see why it happens and here's what I think:
Demand begets supply. In other words, people (and I mean the masses) enjoy watching the hot ones on TV more than they enjoy watching the not-so-hot ones (regardless of skill/ability). If the hot ones are broadcasted, more viewers may tune in. Ticket prices go up. Wimbledon and the media will probably make a larger profit margin by giving pretty players the prime courts. Money circulates.
The supply & demand guideline generally holds to describe why men's sports get more TV coverage across the board compared with women's sports. When the men's version is on ESPN, the women's version might be relegated to ESPN2. Think NBA vs WNBA, or hockey, or soccer, or baseball/softball. It's because when they broadcast women's sports on their bigger network, not as many viewers tune in and they lose money.
Who is to blame? I'm not sure if it's any one entity. Sure, Wimbledon can CHOOSE to not cater to the viewing preferences of their audience, but as an organization they have their own money interests (as they should), and unfortunately, "looks [can be] a factor in that. On the other hand, it's a terrible cycle: because women's sports aren't broadcasted as frequently as men's sports, because all the analysts are all over the men, sports fans tend to follow whatever's being most aggressively broadcasted. In other words, I end up following the NBA (at the expense of the WNBA) because it's what's on TV.
Although gender or sex is different from ability vs look, I think the same concept that whatever will get viewers will get shown on TV applies…
Not true! Safina played last night on centre court with 15,000 people and was the first tennis player to won a match under the new roof!!!!!!
I hope there is some other explanation, because if this is an actual policy I think I'll never watch a Wimbeldon match again.
OK, so I haven't for years anyway…
This makes me so FURIOUS!
I ALWAYS WONDER THE SAME THING!!
are they thinking about their clothes?
how to the beach volleyball women pay without wondering if their tatas are gonna burst out of their bikini top?
The Williamns sisters have been to mercilessly and cruelly made fun of in the media it is horrifying.
every red carpet event they attend their LOOKS are criticized.
at what point did they sign up to be *models* or anything else but health and tennis and female athleticism?
*sigh*,
Miz.
I love tennis, and the women are more fun to watch at Wimbledon due to the speed of the game on grass. No matter how they "look," if they keep winning they will make it to center court and have the last laugh!
I am not a tennis watcher but if this is so, it sucks! Yes, I have seen more "pretty" tennis players in the past few years & seems like they get more attention. Why should I be surprised since this has been going on forever & still is in terms of women on TV. Makes me mad!
Safina's quadriceps are mesmerizing me.
And aren't the spectators too far away to really see how barbie-pretty the competitors are?
I don't watch tennis (or any sport for that matter) but I think that is just nuts. If I were to watch, I'd think I'd want to see the top ranked players.
Gymratfoodie – Good point. I suppose if that is what the viewers really prefer then that is what they will get!
Watching and Weighting – I think this is true mostly for the preliminary matches. Once they've narrowed it down to the top 5 (or whatever) then they all play center court. Still though – I'm glad to know that it isn't always this way!
Miz – I've had the same thoughts about the Williams sisters. Which is sad as they are such better role models!
I'm not really a tennis fan. I root for the Williams' sisters but I don't watch any sport on TV. In any case, it is a shame to relegate them to the back courts because I would think true tennis buffs would be way more excited to see them play then these other chicks.
BTW, The pictures you are showing are of Serena Williams, not Venus.
We rarely watch sports on TV save for the Tour de France (my husband loves biking). I play tennis but only at home because there I am only embarrassed in front of my husband. It is disappointing for sure but I guess just the way of life. Get ready to deal with this early. We had to help my eldest this year deal with losing a school election that was supposed to be based on character, morals and work ethic to all the popular kids (by popular, I mean those that cheat, do drugs, drink and have sex and are open about it). It is very tough to raise moral children in this day and age.
As a side note – I loved the comment about the beach volleyball players. We had a tough time explaining to our girls why the women play in bikinis and the men play in knee-length shorts.
I have stopped watching as much tennis as I used to -mainly because I can't stand the noise. The grunting drives me insane.
But to think that they choosing who plays where based upon appearance is disgusting. Besides don't the broadcasts show whomever is the better competitor -regardless of court position?
So is may be that the "beautiful" people come to W. to see and be seen and it would somehow appropriate that they would pay the centre court price to see the thinner, blonder waifs. At least in the first few rounds.
Then those who truly love tennis would be able to see the great players as they wander all the other courts.
I guess some random key combo that my too quick fingers hit did a submit before my name – the Anonymous above is from VaMomof2.
I love watching the Williams sisters play! In fact, I set my TV station to them playing while I work out at the gym for inspiration. Sure, the less muscular girls are inspiring too, in the way that anyone with a fit, toned body is. But nothing makes me ramp it up on the machine like watching Venus and Serena. And younger girls NEED to see them play, to remind them that their bodies can be powerful, healthy, and athletic. It's pathetic that being skinny and pretty has such an impact; it's not surprising, I guess, but you'd expect more from professional sports.
Argh. Barf. Sigh.
I HATE that a huge source of power for us women is BEAUTY, LOOKS, PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES. Sure talent, skills, smarts play a factor in your success but SO DOES BEAUTY. That is why we suffer so much. It is so hard to be and STAY beautiful as we age, have kids, LIVE. Men gain power as they age and we lose ours. On top of having to excel in the sport like our male counterparts do, we also have to make sure we look hot, don't beef up too much and make sure we coordinate? Disgusting. Honestly, in our world, there is often a bigger return on investment on making sure you look gorgeous than on working your mind. It's is actually encouraged to spend lavish sums/time on beauty, style, diet… spending the same sums and time on shaping our minds is very unpopular. You finish school and you work to look beautiful. Yuck.
I. Love. Tennis. I love it. Quite honestly, the best part about being home after the birth of my daughter two years ago was that I got to watch Wimbledon live instead of cropped for nighttime viewing. Okay, so not really the best part, but it was an added perk. Too much story to tell, but when I was up at 3am with her, I could still watch Wimbledon. However, I avoid the Williams Sisters the way a three-legged cat avoids a pack of dogs. I do this not because of their looks — I could honestly care less how they look — but I'm in agreement with Deb: what's with all the grunting?! I'm sorry, but if I can ride 20 miles on a bike in an hour without grunting, why can't someone strike a tennis ball without it, too? I play tennis whenever I can and the only time I've ever made a loud noise was when I rolled and broke my ankle (and then while being carried to the car to head to the hospital I kept apologizing to the two kids who were having a tennis lesson two courts over for hearing me swear when it happened. Oops!).
While I don't agree with the outright blatant statement as to the why of it, I can't fault them for wanting to make money. And the more I think about it, I wonder if anyone can really cast the first stone. How many times do you hear people talk about how they had a great time with a guy, but he wasn't well dressed or he wasn't the best looking? The same is true for guys, I can guarantee it; she was great to talk to, but her {butt, hips, teeth, etc.} was too {big/small/etc.}. It's an unfortunate thing that everyone has to deal with at some point in their lives. It's how you deal with it that sets the tone for future interactions. I'm not perfect, and neither is he, and neither is she, and the same things that people do in their private lives are the same people that are making the decision to put these players on Centre Court and these players somewhere else. And if they make money off of the prejudice of their viewers, that's their perogative; and they're smart for knowing their demographics and playing to them. I'm not saying it's right; I'm not saying it's fair. It's the unfortunate, and to borrow a phrase inconvenient truth.
Agreed that tennis should be about the SPORT and we should be marveling at the skill of the athletes rather than their looks.
But I'm also wondering what this does to the athletes who are playing center because they're "beautiful". Does that put even more pressure on them to be concerned about their looks? Do they start to feel lousy because no one really cares how well they play, just as long as they look good? To be honest, I think that being singled out for being good looking can potentially be just as uncomfortable as being pushed aside because a player doesn't look like the societal ideal of beauty.
And is it fair to assume that these players aren't very skilled just because they're good looking? I think that's attaching a stigma and just reinforcing stereotypes.
I don't completely disagree, but want to point out that men's tennis is getting lots of press right now for their two hot superstars (Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal). Women's tennis is, I think, searching for such a rivalry/superstars. Looking for the new up-and-coming hotshots in the lower ranks.
The William sisters have brought a little more drama to tennis (on and off court) than most watchers like (including me). For awhile they were known more for their elaborate (self-designed) on-court outfits and arrogant statements about how great they were. I remember watching one of them play in fake high-boots (she wore them over the top of her sneakers and they came up over the knee- how practical is that?) So if you are trying to draw attention to yourself for what you wear on-court, I don't think you should be too surprised if you get noticed for your off-court attire as well. (Also I think they tried to start a fashion line)
Certainly looks play into it. But I think there is more than that going on.
Wow, that's disgusting. I always had this (apparently naive) idea that sports were the one area where what you could do mattered more than your looks, personality, etc (even though I'm personally not much into watching or playing sports). Apparently I was way off! That is really a shame. And the Williams sisters are gorgeous! WTF is wrong with these people??
This pisses me off. I'm not a tennis watcher, but I have to admit that I will watch the Williams sisters, just because that much talent and skill, in ANY endeavor, is compelling. So it's ironic that by putting lesser (but more conventionally "good-looking") players in the areas of better media coverage, the powers that be are actually LOSING my viewership.
Then again, I suppose I'm not the target market. But COME ON. Put the best players in the best spots, for cryin' out loud!
Chiming in again: the Williams sisters, unlike most tennis pros, grew up playing on cr**py courts in South Central L.A, and not at posh country clubs. Their coach was their dad, not a former pro. They've basically done for tennis what Tiger Woods did for golf; taking it out of "elite" circles and getting more kids interested.
Yet more reasons they're great role models.
I guess I just expect it. It's everywhere, even in the video game industry. Game teams will make sure that they always have the "hot chick" on the team at every conference and doing press events. There was a huge uproar about Assassin's Creed, not because of anything about the game, but the Producer was a very attractive woman (whereas it's normally a portly dude).
Sex sells, but it's only because we, as a society, are buying.
Keyalus: you are RIGHT. Holy crap I'm an idiot. Thanks for the correction!
VaMomof2: I've often wondered the same thing about the volleyball players myself. Esp. since indoor female VB players wear shorts and t-shirts and don't seem to be hindered by it.
Joshua – too funny about the grunting! Lots of people are apparently seriously bothered by it. For some reason it doesn't bug me. But then I don't watch much tennis. PS> "Best part of staying home with my daughter"! You crack me up!!!
bjbella – interesting point! I didn't know that about the Williams sisters' on-court fashion and fashion lines.
Quix – sadly, I think you are right. We need to start talking with our money!
I happen to have been a competative cheerleader in high school, but only because I had the best coach ever. She hired professional judges from out of town who knew no one and had tryouts closed to the public. We also had to get a letter of recommendation from at least two of our teachers and grades w/ a brief survey filled out by all our other ones. That counted significantly towards our score.
So there were pretty, popular girls on the squad who were also smart and talented and well behaved. There were girls like me who were shy, socially awkward and related to Drew Barrymore in "Never Been Kissed" enough to cry through the whole movie. One girl on our squad was in foster care and our coach legally adopted her our Senior year.
I wish there were more role models out there like my high school cheerleading coach. I had a great time doing something I loved, I was good at, and I never would have had the guts to try out for otherwise if not for her.
Aren't tennis audiences decreasing in number? Aren't tennis fans drifting away? Maybe tennis officials should try to keep them by keeping the best players in the public eye. Finding attractive tennis players at the lot around the corner is pretty simple for some people (not me). Finding amazing tennis players is the challenge (except that I live near the Arthur Ashe Tennis Foundation).
Just a rehash of other comments, but: I think Serena Williams is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Venus is a close second. And it shouldn't have anything to do with their tennis careers.
Only way I would watch women’s tennis is if at least one of the players was a babe. And sorry, the Williams sisters are both ugly as sin.