Off the court philanthropic/campaigning work by ATP and WTA professionals

Spectator · All-time great

Off the court philanthropic/campaigning work by ATP and WTA professionals

steven · Tennis legend

A quick bump for this thread because it was actually started nearly 24 hours ago but treated as spam by Activeboard's 'sledgehammer to crack a nut' spam filter so didn't appear on the Recent Posts list at the time.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

All on an, obviously, lower level than world peace; but small bricks in the same wall:
I've been very impressed with what Bally is doing at EBAT at how she is giving back to the East Anglian community. Her personal involvement seems to go beyond what little I know of other players who set up academy's or similar institutions.
The Williams sisters recently toured Africa - Nigeria & South Africa, and somewhere else, I think - talking to young girls in poverty about empowerment and 'Breaking The Mould'.
The Radwanska's are regularly involved in a campaign to get food parcels to the needy in Poland - a bit like a year continuous Harvest festival I think.

Ratty · County player

Yes, they're all saints aren't they. Let me try and remember how many players boycotted Dubai in 2009 when Shahar Peer was refused a visa ... ah yes, it was NONE.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Oh, Ratty, I think I love you most of all you fabulous curmudgeon! With standards for human behaviour so high even you couldn't meet them.
Long may you reign.

I've often thought though that you seem more like Mr. Badger than Ratty.

Spectator · All-time great

For the record, Ratty, one did -- Andy Roddick, the defending champion in the following week's mens event, both pulled out and made it very clear why he was pulling out. Given that most of the top players had already pulled out for injury-related reasons, he was giving up a chance to get relatively easy points, too.

Ratty · County player

I didn't know that, so thanks for pointing it out Spectator.

I don't think I was being curmudgeonly. I just think that the nature of fandom is to grossly exaggerate sportspeople's virtues. So, for example, an example on this board was when Laura Robson hit a few balls with some local children in Israel. The sort of minor kindness that I expect all of us do most days, but it was held up as something - well, not exactly extraordinary - but certainly unusual.

As a speculation, I'd guess that sportspeople are more selfish than average. The process of getting to be world class requires obsession and self-centredness. Looking at characters like Federer and Serena Williams in the cold light of day, they really don't seem to be very nice people.

Spectator · All-time great

I'm somewhat in sympathy, Ratty. And I wonder whether implicit in the way we celebrate the decency shown by some sports stars is a recognition that so many others are perceived as doing very little that is altruistic.

But I also think there are some who go beyond the kind of decency that one would hope to find in any person. That's what had impressed me about Qureshi: he wasn't stopping by a hospital in the latest tournament location to sign some casts. He was going way out of his way into fairly risky areas, making a significant commitment of time and effort. It's what (following on from IF's post) impresses me about Baltacha, too: she really does seem to be exceptionally generous with her time and talent to a wide range of people, many of whom would not otherwise have access to the kind of opportunities she offers. It's this kind of deeper commitment that I was hoping to highlight in this thread.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

This is an old thread but it seems the right one to resurrect as my 'shout' is for Sutton Tennis Academy (and Wilson Germany) for donating new racquets etc. to Africa Tennis Aid:

pbs.twimg.com/media/B_L1CSvW8AAHyM9.jpg

pbs.twimg.com/media/B_BBYBMW8AA0TlU.jpg:large

(Now I know some people will think that British tennis is, itself, a charity case but, hey, it's all good)