I love tennis. Of course, I love the ebb and flow of the game, the action, the confrontation of wills, the history and tradition – yes, I love it all. Most of all, I love the sheer democracy of tennis.

It is one of the few games played with equal joy by eight-year-olds and 80-year-olds alike. It favors no nation, no religion, no race, no gender, no politics. In a world where violence, bigotry, and hate seem to dominate much of the news, it provides for us a glimpse of the possible.

Take for example current women’s doubles. During this year’s Wimbledon, the spectre of terrorism threatened us with the car rigged to explode just off Trafalgar Square. Why? To prove the determinaton of a few to murder innocent men, women, and children through stealth and cowardice? Is this an accurate picture of what must be in our world?

'Together, they managed to do what neither had been able to do alone – they held the winner’s trophy aloft to the delight of the Stanford crowd'


Perhaps we should shift our attention to the tennis courts just a few miles away, where Sania Mirza, a 20-year-old from Mumbai, India, and Shahar Peer another 20-year-old from Jerusalem, Israel, were partnered in a common dream – the right to continue in pursuit of the most coveted doubles championship in tennis.

Sania and Shahar did not win the tournament. They did not even reach the finals. In point of fact, they were not the only Muslim/Jew pairing at the Championships. The reason I cite the example of these two women is because the media just seemed to miss the point. They tried. They worked, they progressed, they took a step towards their dreams – together!

On Sunday, at the Bank of the West Classic held in California, another chapter to this story was being written. Sania Mirza played in the final against still another 20-year-old, Ana Chakvetadze from Moscow, Russia. Ana won the contest, and the title, in straight sets.

Less than an hour later, Sania and Ana again faced off across the net; this time to contest the Doubles championship. Sania’s partner? Shahar Peer. Together, they managed to do what neither had been able to do alone – they held the winner’s trophy aloft to the delight of the Stanford crowd. They had not let their defeat at Wimbledon drive a wedge between them. They had, in fact, closed ranks and continued on – together.

I can only speak for myself, but my hat is raised to these fine women, and indeed to all those who, seemingly unaware of the issues dividing our world into suspicious and angry antagonists, are proving to all who will take notice that differences do not have to make a difference.