Are Big Characters Being Driven Out of Tennis?

There was a time when John McEnroe was revered for screaming his famous lines, “You’ve got to be kidding me,” or “The ball was on the line!” But with the game becoming more professionalized than anyone back in the wooden racket era could ever have imagined, it now seems impossible for a character such as McEnroe to emerge.

Be honest with yourself, how many times have you heard someone say, “I love Serena, but it’s just her attitude…” or “that Nick Kyrgios could be something really special if he got his mental game in check”?

The fact is that modern tennis fans have been conditioned to idolize bland brand ambassadors such as Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer, rather than more volatile but ultimately more entertaining personalities such as Marat Safin or Martina Navratilova. Here’s why this is bad for the long-term health of the game and what can be done to change it.

Stop Demonizing Players for not Looking like Kournikova or not Being Robots

Female players tend to bear the brunt of this strange attitude that prevails among tennis commentators and media reporters, that a tennis player should fit a certain mold. That mold tends to involve a short skirt, light skin, a ponytail, and a non-threatening demeanor, rather than any attributes that will sway you as to whether to wager on their next ATP or WTA match-up.

Tennis by its very nature is already a restricting game, so by perpetuating this false norm those who run the game risk having players on tour who resemble good looking and yet boring baseline robots.

Stop Players Modeling on Court

There really is nothing more cringe worthy than watching a Grand Slam champion delay going to pick up his or her trophy to snap on a designer watch. This sort of behavior sucks the emotion from the sport’s most important moments and conditions athletes to think of the brands they represent rather than the fact they just triumphed against the odds.

Old Audiences Have Money but A Short Shelf-Life

Contrary to popular belief among the plastic surgery and timeshare brigade, everyone will meet their maker one day and with this in mind it might be a good idea for tennis authorities to try and market the game to a younger crowd, even if that means a short term dip in revenue.

More needs to be done to not only protect young and impressionable young stars coming through the ranks, but also to encourage them to develop and express their own personalities. In the age of social media this is vital if the sport’s longevity is to be ensured.