Wimbledon Officials Call Serena Williams Ugly, Send Her to Back Courts
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:
The number 1 seed? You'll find Dinara Safina of Russia way over in court 2.
Back in the center court we have No 28 seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania
But where is the number 2 player? The U.S.'s own Serena Williams (edited from original text "Venus": I'm an idiot and can't tell my Williams sisters apart. Thanks to everyone who pointed it out.) is back on court 2.
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?
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Winning will get you on center court every time. Winning must be beautiful...because those who self-promote beauty love winning almost as much as said self-promotion. Therefore, one is left to conclude that the Williams sisters are super hot indeed -- I do mean smokin'. Those with axes to grind, and feelings of inadequacy may disagree, but lovers still love them, lovers keep thinking of them...when we pray for the sick, when we ponder ways to address what afflicts the hearts and the minds of the haters...those who seek to be self-esteem deflators via paltry slovenly attempts to promenade as they primp down the aisle of supposed substance, bringing all the pomp and circumstance of their delusion, confusion, and possible contusions of the brain that cause them to have disdain for their brothers and sisters. Such people are truly hideous -- all covered with blemishes warts and blisters of malice, no need to ask Alice...for we can see with our own eyes. Yet lovers always love, even the losers...those worthy of no prize. We extend our hearts and our hand...to even the hateful who in darkness plan...deceit meant to creep into hearts and minds. We love the hateful fool, and we say lord, have mercy on their behind.
That’s what I would have told the Wimbledon people you speak of Mrs. Hilton-Andersen.
Doesn't matter much now.
If tennis relied and the "good looking " players who can't win, they would be in trouble. They know Serena and Venus bring in the ratings just as Tiger does. They also know that when the final game comes on, it most likely will be one of the Williams sisters. Writer gotta do more than this this piece to shake them up.
Is this a joke. Did Wimbledon officials say The Williams sisters were ugly? Venus and Serena are the most exciting thing to happen to female tennis. I only watch it when they play and they always push the barriers. Only a caucasion woman with no interaction with people of color could write something this inane.
The headline is absolutely vicious! I am a huge tennis fan, those lower ranking players only make it to center court if they are playing a top seeded player...Court 2 at Wimbledon is brand new, and Serena actually likes it...Dinara Safina was playing on center court the day the roof was closed.
So basically what I'm saying is this article is bullsh!t.
WHAT???? With all the things that are happening in this world today, we're talking about this? Wherever they play, the Williams sisters are hot, hot, hot!
My husband wants to see Serena in that black cat suit again! He watched a lot of tennis that day, so did my son and grandson....in fact, so did I!
unfortunately, the players have to wear white at Wimbledon, but the black cat suit could make a comeback at the US Open in Sept
Most tennis fans are men, men like to see the best male tennis players play, and men like to see the best looking women tennis players play. Wimbledon figured this out, and that's how they chose who plays where, they know their demographic, they know what sells, they're not in the sports business to lose money, Wimbledon going out of business wouldn't help out any of the tennis players.
Interesting. Since I and almost everyone I know only watch tennis when Venus and Serena are playing. Don't even notice the women who are supposedly "beauties" UNLESS they're playing the Williamses. In fact, I've heard a few men laughing at the bodies of some of the women named in the article as "beauties" when comparing their bods to Serena....and even Venus. Venus and Serena have brought more excitement, viewership and money to tennis than ANY other athlete. The constant need to criticize the appearance of Black women is old, tiresome and only screams insecurity. Stop with the racism /insecurity PLEEASSE!
And whites always say that black people are overly sensitive, that we are imagining things like driving while black or being followed around in stores.
What is it that makes whites hate other human beings who are not WHITE?
I guess it's a sickness like terminal cancer that can't be excised and that one must live with.
WHAT A PITY!!!
"What is it that makes whites hate other human beings who are not WHITE?
I guess it's a sickness like terminal cancer that can't be excised and that one must live with."
Wow, sweeping generalizations about a label assigned to multiple ethnicities. Which ethnic groups are "white" which are not "white"? Albanians? Sephardic Jews? Persians? Dark-skinned Aryans from India? What are your criteria for defining ethnic groups belonging under the label "white"?
Lots of people who are popularly referred to as "white" are getting along just fine with other ethnicities. Some are having children other ethnicities. Barack Obama's mother was one. Bob Marley's father was another.
The pity is the combination of ethnic identification, subjective thinking, and self-righteousness. You might be able to get along ok with one or two of those issues at a time but all three of them at once makes a noxious pollution in society.
Th author uses Anna K. only to make a point but apparently does not know that she has not played a competitive tournament match in YEARS! Trolling through pictures to find "attractive" players to make her point is weak. We could do the same with "ugly" players and find several who graced show courts at Wimbledon and title the article, Wimbledon favors Ugly-ducklings...
The author seems to forget that it takes TWO to dance in a match. You cannot just cite one player's name but willfully neglect the other's if you intend to be a fair voice.
Anyway, Wimbledon's unequal treatment, such as court assignment, is desplayed toward FEMALE players as a whole. The Williams sister are both victims of a greater crime.
Well, I don't watch any tennis UNLESS one of the Williams sisters is playing.
Same here.
Maybe that's one of the reasons tennis isn't taken as seriously as any other sport in America. I'm sure Serena or Safina doesn't care where they play just as long as they are winning. Ultimately, if affects the fans. They want to watch the best of the best who deserve to be on center court.
I think Charlotte Anderson just wanted to use this space to say she prefers the look of "European beauties". Not saying she is a les bian or anything, but if she is a les bian, there is nothing wrong with that, or the fact that she prefers the look of European woman over African American woman.
Back in the center court we have No 28 seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania .
My comment.
Ok, she good to look at, that's about it.
Things that real men look for are not there.
I'll put Serena in my center court any day to serenade me, if you know what I mean.
She was on center court because she was playing No. 8 Victoria Azarenka--something the author seems to have missed.
Mee freakin' owwwww.......
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