Wimbledon Scores One for Sexism

by Helen Wortham | Article Date: 07/01/2009 11:41 AM

My first response was “Bullshit, this has to be a joke.”
I thought I’d landed on one of my co-ed sports blogs (I only check them for the articles…) instead of a legit news site.

But there it was—a quote from Wimbledon organizers to the Daily Mail that they try to schedule very attractive women players on Centre Court, no matter what their ranking.

I’m not stupid…we all know that sex and sexy bodies sell seats, but to have that be the reason for one of the most revered tennis tournament court assignments? Bullshit. I didn’t believe it.

So I did a little research and it was all too true:
28th ranked Sorana Cirstea got to play on Centre Court, while Serena Williams was tossed over to Court No. 2. (Rumor has it she was ten minutes late because she was protesting her court assignment) I’ll see your sexism and raise you with possible racism…

The fact that many seats remained empty for the Cirstea Centre Court centerfold match makes me think that the Wimbledon crowd actually went there to watch tennis instead of soft porn. Good for them.
Disturbing though, isn’t it?

I’m not sure which freaks me out more? The idea that they thought they would sell out the name of Wimbledon to sell seats, or the fact that they admitted to it. What I know for sure is that I’m convinced that Wimbledon is played in London because the sexist and possibly racist (and probably all male) organizers are living back in the Middle Ages.

Who wants to join me in bringing the Wimbledon organizers into the present day by telling them where to shove a couple of fuzzy yellow balls?

Follow SheWired on Twitter.

FIRST PAGE

PAGE 1

LAST PAGE

DG	view my profile
Wednesday, July 1 2009 \| 12:53:53
well
the Daily Mail is a tab so... However, if there is some truth to it the WTA has brought some of this on themselves. They market the tour with T&A in mind. They have somewhat participated in this by marketing their better looking players, and encouraging tight fitting short skirts.

jux4play	view my profile
Wednesday, July 1 2009 \| 16:09:48
A little bit of both
I watch Wimbledon every year and i wonder the same thing every year. I have heard Johnny Mac, ask the questions "why are Venus and Serena playing on outside courts, when they were the only Wimbledon winners with more than one Wimbledon title" and in past Wimbledon years, he and other commentators asked the question "why didn't they seat Venus higher in the ranking charts when playing Wimbledon, since she had won it more than 3times", but the questions would always get swept under the rug. I heard this was the only year they offered Venus and Serena the #1 seating, and they turned it down by saying that Dinara Safina deserved it. I did wonder how did a #28 seed get to play on center court and someone who has won Wimbledon 5 times have yet to step a foot on the grass of center court. Serena played her first match on CC yesterday, she and Venus have been thrown on courts 1 and 2 since the tournament started and court 2 & 3 for doubles, and they are the defending champs. Whatever their reasons are, it's not fair

sousou	view my profile
Wednesday, July 1 2009 \| 18:42:21
It's upsetting...
...but not surprising. The female tennis players are paid less (as far as I know) than the male players, if the women are not treated equally and with respect in that area - why would they be treated better in any other area? I also hate the way the men's game is always played last, I think they should alternate every year..as it is - it seems like the men's final is the highlight and the women's final is just the warm-up act...

Foxydawn32	view my profile
Thursday, July 2 2009 \| 09:19:23
Sexy Tennis
I agree the sport of women’s tennis is far been lost from skill to more about image. There will always be smoothing sexy about female tennis players no matter how you look at it. I am not sure if it is the fault of the WTA as much as it is the companies like Nike, etc... for creating tennis outfits which are shorter. However most lady tennis players are well toned athletes, so why not show off your sexy body. As a Lesbian fan of tennis I say lets get back the sport and worry less about all the other stuff.

devajuno	view my profile
Thursday, July 2 2009 \| 13:39:33
I’ll see your sexism and raise you with possible racism…
Some old shit just another day.

DG	view my profile
Thursday, July 2 2009 \| 14:38:05
nope
[quote]The female tennis players are paid less They're paid the same at the slams. [quote]I heard this was the only year they offered Venus and Serena the #1 seating, Well I doubt the "committee" would actually go to Vee or ree, and say: do you want it? They would just do it. The insufferable Wimbledon committee never seeds women players according to ability they only do that for the men. With the women they go by rankings.

jux4play	view my profile
Thursday, July 2 2009 \| 22:44:40
Not always
Mary jo, Mary C, or Pam Shriver reported last week that V & S were offered the #1 seat and they both declined, unless the commentator who reported that just pulled it out of thin air...... than,that's what she reported. And the wimbledon committee do sometimes make acceptions for certain players, who have won the title one or more times but their ranking have slipped doing the year. When Venus won in '07 she was ranked #32 in the world, but when she played wimbledon they seated her #23 not a woop-woop seating, but they did it, and they also made an acception for Maria S, this year and seated her. I guess the committee was coming under alot of scrutiny about top marquee players were playing eachother in the early rounds and being sent home because they would not move them up in the seating due to how well they play that tournament. In '07 Venus & Maria meet in the 4th round because V was seated #23, Maria lost and Johnny Mac, said there is no reason why the marquee players should be sent home this early in the program because the stuffy committee wont change their precious rules, and since then they have begin to loosen up a little bit more. They also did it last year and seated Venus #7 but she was ranked #10 or 11 in the world, again no woop-woop but they are changing, slowly, yes....but it's happening.

DG	view my profile
Friday, July 3 2009 \| 07:33:34
bizaar
"Mary jo, Mary C, or Pam Shriver reported last week that V & S were offered the #1 seat and they both declined, " I hadn't heard that. Were they talking about doubles, maybe? It makes no sense that they would ask the players if they would like the top two seeds--you don't ask them if they want it. That's just the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I have even less respect for those old goats than I did before. They should have just given Vee the #1 seed; her straight set demolition of Safina yesterday illustrates that .

jux4play	view my profile
Friday, July 3 2009 \| 12:12:55
Singles
She said singles, because Safina is not playing doubles, i guess the sisters didn't care one way or the other as long as they were at opposite ends of the bracket, so the only way they would meet would be in the finals. I don't know if it's true or not, i just know that one of them reported it. I don't know which one because they were showing footage of past V & Serena's matches at the time. I do have to say, that was humiliating for women's sports to have such a one sided match like that, i hate it when a team or player seems to proove people right, when they say "women's sports are not really that exciting to watch, and that match yesterday between Venus & Safina was a prime example. I hope they saw the 1st semi-final match, now that was an exciting match. A lot of people don't like the power game that the sisters bring, but when you have someone who's not scared to hit with the William sisters, you will get a match like Serena and Elena showcased yesterday and a match like that will always be exciting to watch.

jump4joy	view my profile
Saturday, July 4 2009 \| 08:03:42
Tennis
As a tennis player and big fan of the sport, I just wish I could watch a good match or two on television without all the politics. Sad day...