British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Spireman wrote:

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Var wrote:

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KK wrote:

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christ wrote:

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On the subject of statistics it may be worth noting that - according to the 2021 census - the population of the UK is 82% white, 9% asian and 4% black (plus sundries). This seems to me to imply that asians are underrepresented, but that blacks are about right. Statistically. I don't have the numbers to hand (as, to be honest it doesn't matter to me, as I have never considered anyone's race when I follow them in tennis or anything else), but just having a quick rummage it seems to me that at least four of the UK's top hundred tennis players are black, which seems about right (statistically speaking).

I am absolutely of the opinion that class (or its proximate, wealth) is much more important than ethnicity (although ethnicity definitely plays its part). Race apart, look at the "class" of our top players (or, in truth all of our professional players), and it is blindingly obvious where the balance of power lies. This, of course, is true in all walks of life in the UK.

Unfortunately this means that "perceptual racism" is endemic - if you grow up in a neighbourhood with say 50% black population, then you may perceive anything less than 50% black participation in whatever you do as racial bias. (I am not particularly surprised, for example, when having only one or two black managers in the Football Premier League (out of twenty) is always reported as "underrepresentation" and a symptom of "institutional bias", and only 40% of the players being black is seen as "underrepresentation". Heaven forfend that anyone - presumably by definition a racist white nationalist - point out that whites are discriminated against by this logic.)

I think all (well, nearly all - billionaire's daughters don't count) professional tennis players face barriers to achievement be it geographical, institutional, financial, familial, medical, or yes, even racial, but the successful ones see those barriers as things to be overcome, not things to be moaned about.

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 Very well reasoned post, Christ.

Given the degree of skill needed to be acquired at a young age to become a professional tennis player, I believe the biggest advantage someone can have is a parent or parents who want their child to go down that route, preferably ones who can give some coaching in the early stages.  Jay will have had that advantage with his sister, Jade being able to coach him.  Money is obviously a big advantage, but the majority of rich parents don't want to spend their weekends hanging around at tennis tournaments.

Certainly my (not particularly rich) husband didn't want the whole family's weekend to be given up to tennis. As he had been working hard all week I could sort of understand that - even though I came from a family where weekends and school holidays had been dominated by another sport.

 

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Or in the case of Mimi, tennis playing next door neighbours? Doesnt have to be family.  

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 Going off the point a bit on this thread....but it's struck me for a while, that whatever we might say or think about the lta, the academies they started 5ish years ago (?) must have really helped Mimi. Being from Swansea where it takes a time to travel to a nucleus of other players of high enough standard to train with, or even to lta tournaments in earlier days. On the girls side she seems to be the trailblazer for the academy. I know Ella was in as well, and Ranah but the rest of the older ones have now gone, or going, to us college. Then Mika went into academy later, plus others. If you look at where successful British players come from previously Surrey is well represented then other home counties. Eg Draper, Dart, Burrage, Klugman, Kartal, Raducanu....then a number from midlands etc.

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 I thought Radu was Bromley?

Coup Droit wrote:

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Our two Ollies now on court - and doing well so far

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First set in the bag for Ollie T by 6-4.   

Ballavong wrote:

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And Crawford takes the 1st set on a TB

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 He has lost the second 3-6