Home > Tennis > Maria Sharapova a tennis icon - but not for the right reasons
Maria Sharapova a tennis icon - but not for the right reasons
Women's tennis is popular to many fans, not becuase they play brillant tennis, but becuase they are good to look at.
by Abe Battjes on 13 March 2008
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Not only are female competitors know for their grunting, but also the glamour they bring to the sport. Players like Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams dress to impress when they take to the court, but never let it take away from what they do best. But is the glitz these women bring, demeaning to the WTA tour? For the most part this notion is extremely true. It attracts male spectators for all the wrong reasons. For example, instead of watching because Sharapova is ranked in the top five, a male fan might be tempted just because she is wearing a skimpy dress. 'Of course the women look great while they are playing, sporting extremely gorgeous outfits, and expensive jewelry'Not only is she fashionable, but she is extremely attractive. Even though she was blessed with good looks, she should been known for her powerful serve and finesse instead of her beauty. Another great instance of this can be seen the way fans refer to their favorite female players. Personally. I’ve experienced this. I remember watching a match during the 2008 Australian Open with a friend. He told me he liked tennis but when I asked him who he liked he could only respond by saying, “The hot blonde chick.” At first I figured he meant Sharapova, but when he saw her on court, the first thing he responded with was “No, it’s the other hot blonde.”
Not only are female competitors know for their grunting, but also the glamour they bring to the sport. Players like Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams dress to impress when they take to the court, but never let it take away from what they do best. But is the glitz these women bring, demeaning to the WTA tour?
For the most part this notion is extremely true. It attracts male spectators for all the wrong reasons. For example, instead of watching because Sharapova is ranked in the top five, a male fan might be tempted just because she is wearing a skimpy dress.
Not only is she fashionable, but she is extremely attractive. Even though she was blessed with good looks, she should been known for her powerful serve and finesse instead of her beauty.
Another great instance of this can be seen the way fans refer to their favorite female players. Personally. I’ve experienced this. I remember watching a match during the 2008 Australian Open with a friend.
He told me he liked tennis but when I asked him who he liked he could only respond by saying, “The hot blonde chick.” At first I figured he meant Sharapova, but when he saw her on court, the first thing he responded with was “No, it’s the other hot blonde.”
Of course the women look great while they are playing, sporting extremely gorgeous outfits, and expensive jewelry. But do these women deserve to be ogled and watched because they know how to look good? No they don’t, and it's very depressing to see these women who work so hard, receiving recognition only for their looks and dress instead of the quality of their game.
Most likely this issue will never get better, due to the fact that some people are always going to be superficial. It can’t be expected of these women to dress in drab and dull clothing.
They need to dress in something comfortable while on court in order to achieve the best movement possible, so why not wear something that cute? It's not just men who do this either. There are women out there who will watch baseball or football because the men are attractive.
Instead of looking at these women in the terms of their looks and glamour, they should be watched because they play great tennis. And if someone doesn’t know a player's name, please don’t refer to them as the “hot blonde” or the one with “a cute butt”.
Comments (11)
by Jonathan on March 13, 2008
Maybe it's just you, but Maria has a great game to match her looks. Unlike Kournikova, Maria could rack up endorsements and win at the same time. I've watched Sharapova since before she won Wimbledon, before she appeared on the cover of TENNIS that proclaimed her the possible next big thing from Russia. So in a sense, I've watched a goofy, carefree teen living her dream to a grown, poised, woman, and she's only 20. I watch her because I'm still in awe of the power she can generate on her serve and groundstrokes, as well as the sheer will and determination she always has on her face. Those are the qualities that make a great tennis player, as well as a very kind and complimenting mouth that credits oponnents even after she loses, no matter what the excuse is. It's that type of tennis player that makes me a fan. The model stuff she's into is just her hobby to me, but it definitely is not the reason why I watch her. It's to see great tennis.
by john simon on March 14, 2008
Abe obviously has a real problem. What about men who are admired by women for the same reasons? He's not sayng anything about them.Get real Abe! This is what the human gender is all about. Take the sack off your head and live with it.
by Sakib Jalil on March 14, 2008
I find the article agreeable. It is true Sharapova has a good game with less variety but with more intensity. Its good for tennis. But we have always seen that for the wrong reasons she has been "over-estimated" in the past and overly advertised only because of her looks and at times, she didn't deserve that much praise. In asia, it is very true that some people don't even know the scoring system of tennis but watch only because of Maria playing and some newspapers actually publicize her in such a way that people who don't follow tennis much, thinks she is the no.1 or all time best. Anyway I am not trying to take away anything from sharapova, just mentioning a fact and agreeing that yes Sharapova is a tennis icon but not for all the right reasons. I congradulate Abe for a free thinking article.
by Bill Goss on March 14, 2008
Amen brother! I couldn't say it better that that.
by Big V on March 14, 2008
Actually, I watch for both. Maria plays well, so does Serena recently if you haven't watched her play in Bangalore. Her duel with her sister in the semis was awesome! Serena, Venus, Maria, and the rest of the top players have to looks fashionable! It's for PR. It's absolutely essential because they're in the 'entertainment business', though not technically. Andre Agassi said 'image is everything'. Though not absolutely true, it certainly can get you places. And these girls, they aren't pulling any punches either. They're full of energy, intensity and life in addition to their grace, skill, and beauty, both in their game and physique. Do yourself a favor and savor it while it lasts. I don't think there will be another Maria Sharapova or Serena Williams after they retire -- at least not in PR power and their ability to make heads turn. And it's also good for the sport! It's also gonna encourage the other players to look even better which adds to the lucrativeness of women's tennis. Think of it as a selling feature at least.
by Roger Federer on March 14, 2008
Hey! Who's that tall chick that fires backhands like bazookas and screams like a police siren again? She's hot!
by Nora Barnacle on March 15, 2008
Not only was this article poorly written and copyedited, but it makes "truth" claims for its opinions and misstates facts. First, these players are professionals. If attorneys think dressing a certain way in the courtroom will help them win clients, no one questions their decisions. If these players think a certain image will earn them additional sponsorships, they'd be crazy not to seize the opportunity. The article also ignores the fact that many of these players design their own tennis outfits or at least have heavy input in the design process. Also, Maria Sharapova does not wear glitzy jewelry or makeup on court. She wears simple gold jewelry and NO makeup. Last, please perform some adequate research before making blanket claims about these athletes. Just because Justine Henin's outfits are simpler than Sharapova's or Serena's, that doesn't mean they're less "skimpy." And finesse? Sharapova? I don't care if she plays tennis in a burlap sack, she'll NEVER be famous for finesse!
by Lani A. on March 15, 2008
It's a poorly written article like all of the other articles he spammed the tennis section with recently. It's highly subjective. Referencing is poor. No substance at all. I'm sure we all agree that Sharapova lacks the finesse of players like Martina Hingis and Justine Henin. But she does make up for it with a gritty, very intensity, very highly competitive attitude on court. Not that her peers don't, it's just that Maria conveys it so well. Another thing is that Maria DOES NOT wear make up. She accessorises with more of functionality in mind since the centerpiece would certainly be her dress.
by Barbara Todd on March 15, 2008
The media have led the general public by the nose for way too long. Maria Sharapova is by no means a beauty. I get sick of them fussing over her. There are at least ten of the women tennis players who are better looking than she is AND many more than that who are better natured too. Also they dont have an ill-manered father hovering over them like a vulture in the wings.
by Natalie Sheppard on March 16, 2008
I love this article it totally makes sense but no one will admit it.
by Lani A, on March 18, 2008
That's very selfish of you to say. Very subjective too. Who the hell are you to speak for the public? And it's pathetic of you to judge Maria based on her father's demeanor. It's not always 'like father, like daughter'. There are countless people with fathers that are drunkards, drug-addicts, or whatever loathful vice they possess and they end up being responsible people -- far from what their fathers were. So much for rash judgement.
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