Sexist Wimbledon (so what else is new?)

The F-Word Blog has highlighted an article in (of all newspapers!) the Daily Mail that highlights a most disgusting practice being carried out by the All England Lawn Tennis Club during this year's Wimbledon Championship:

In the men’s tournament, five-times winner Roger Federer and British hope Andy Murray invariably play on Centre.

But on Friday, after Federer left the court, the next match was Victoria Azarenka of Belarus against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea.

While both 19-year-olds have top form in the glamour department, Miss Cirstea was seeded 28 while Miss Azarenka, who won, is ranked and seeded eighth.

That same day, second seed Serena Williams was relegated to the new No 2 Court for her win over Italian Roberta Vinci

Apparently, their spokesman admitted it outright, saying that looks "are a factor".

Here is the letter that I have just sent to the All England Lawn Tennis Club:

The All England Lawn Tennis Club,
Church Road,
Wimbledon,
London
SW19 5AE

Dear Sir or Madam,

Scheduling of women's matches on Centre Court

I am writing to you today because I have read an article by the Daily Mail suggesting that lower-seeded women players are being scheduled on Centre Court in preference to more talented players, and I believe that this is inappropriate for a prestigious sporting event such as the Wimbledon Championship.

According to quotations in the Daily Mail's article, the reason for these less accomplished players being promoted to the tournament's brightest spotlight is because they are felt to have better looks than other players. The Daily Mail quotes spokesman Johnny Perkins as saying, "Good looks are a factor." The article suggests that this is also a factor in the BBC's coverage of the Wimbledon Championship, but does not name its sources for that conclusion.

I am an avid fan of many women's sports, and I always expect to see the best athletes and sportswomen to be given the spotlight so that fans of the sport can appreciate it being played at the very highest level. I expect the same from the Wimbledon Championship. It is demeaning and dismissive of these professional athletes and their abilities to reduce their value to your tournament to a puerile assessment of their physical attractiveness. It is also demeaning and dismissive towards your sport's spectators to assume that their only interest in women's sport is based on sexualising the players' bodies, rather than an appreciation of their skills and fitness.

This type of blatant sexism and discrimination is not acceptable in the modern world, and it is appalling that it still occurs from such illustrious organisations as the AELTC.

I look forwards with hope to your reply, and to seeing women's tennis players treated with the respect they deserve for their skill and talent on the court.

Yours Faithfully,

I encourage everyone else who reads this blog to write to the AELTC at the address above (adding "UK" or "England" to the address, obviously, if you're not from the UK). Wimbledon is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world, and I see no reason why non-Brits should stay silent about this matter when Wimbledon has such a global reputation. (NB the wimbledon.org website says that they don't always read or reply to emails, so sending by post is much more effective).

For the record, the top-seed playing each day on centre court has thus far been:

Day 1: 2
Day 2: 3
Day 3: 24 (2nd seed playing on court 1, 4th seed playing on court 2)
Day 4: 9 (3rd seed playing on court 1, 1st seed playing on court 2)
Day 5: 8 (4th seed on court 1, 2nd seed on court 2)
Day 6: 3 (lst seed on court 2)
Day 7: 1

By comparison, in the men's games it has been:

Day 1: 2 (Roger Federer)
Day 2: 3 (Andy Murray)
Day 3: 2
Day 4: 3
Day 5: 2
Day 6: 3
Day 7: 2

There have been two games on centre court each day in the men's tournament (only one each day for the women); the lowest "high seed" in a men's game on centre court has been 11 - the only one outside the top 8. Only 4 men's matches on centre court saw the highest seed being outside the top 4. Compare that to the scheduling of the women's games and you can see that there really is a problem.